A person never knows where he or she will find romance.  It may be at school, at the grocery store, at a restaurant or bar, at a ball game, or even at work.  Although it’s wonderful to feel the rush provided by a new romantic interest, being in a relationship on the job can lead to several tricky situations. My advice – even though you may be interested in a special someone at work , do not act on the impulse. After reading this post, you just may come to the same conclusion that dating a colleague isn’t worth it.

Breakups Cause Major Problems

First and foremost, most romantic relationships do not last after the initial infatuation stage.  Although you might want to date a co-worker to see where things might lead, it is best to steer clear of doing so.  Breakups can be awkward to say the least, and if you must continue working with your ex, you will be reminded of the relationship’s failure every day. In effect, real life does not mirror the epic Office Romances depicted on television – think Pam and Jim on The Office .  Real office romances usually crash and burn rather quickly.

Office Gossip

Another reason to avoid office romances involves gossip.  Do you want other employees talking about you?  I didn’t think so. At work your personal life should be just that, personal.  Dating a co-worker will draw attention to you both, and it’s not the kind of attention that will advance a career. Instead of the boss hearing rumors about your latest fling, he or she should hear only about how you do your job effectively.

Perceived Inequity

Sometimes office romances can make it seem as if an employee receives special favors. If you date a supervisor, the owner of the business, or someone else in a managerial position, then your peers will automatically think you will be able to “get away” with doing less work.  They may also think that your new promotion resulted from bedroom favors. An extension of office gossip, perceived inequity can only work to harm one’s career aspirations.

Transfers Can Happen

Imagine this scenario: the beautiful woman in the cubicle next to yours has been your significant other for three months. You enjoy spending time together, both at work and on your off hours.  Everything seems perfect until the boss lets you know you’ve been recommended for the overseas position you applied for eight months ago. Instead of being happy, you wonder what to do…leave behind a possible “keeper” or move on to the dream job you’ve always wanted.  Again, an office romance just doesn’t make sense if you plan to transfer within a large company.

Work/Life Balance

Some argue that work can be the best place to find love.  I agree that getting to know someone slowly, as friends first, at work may be a way of finding true love; however, in most cases, romances with co-workers usually do not work out.  Because of this, I’d recommend steering clear of dating colleagues.