Dating : How a Casual Workplace Romance Can Haunt You

When you’re putting in long hours on a project with an attractive co-worker, it’s possible that a spark might start to smolder. Working towards a common goal can lay the groundwork for a more than platonic relationship outside of work.

It’s convenient, and there’s a bit of a thrill in sneaking around behind your manager’s back. However, after a few weeks it fizzles out, and you’re left with trying not to meet your co-worker’s eyes in the boardroom and dodging them at the water cooler.

Lesson learned you think, chalking it up to one of those learning experiences that’ll make you wiser. Eventually one of you gets promoted or you move on to another employer.

Now fast forward a few years or even a decade into the future.

You’re up for your dream job or at least a dreamier job than what you currently have. You’ve aced multiple interview rounds without letting your current employer know that you’re on the prowl for a more fulfilling position. You’ve been extended a job offer that is conditional on passing an extensive background check.

Not a problem. After all, after the past few years your attendance has been impeccable, and you’ve demonstrated growth by taking on progressively more responsibility in your job roles. You’ve got nothing to fear.

Until you realize that your workplace fling from a couple of years ago is now in charge of the department you used to work in. Or has risen through the ranks in Human Resources. Or spread a bunch of untrue gossip after you left that may have tarnished your superstar image. Or is the reason you were terminated since interoffice romances were against company policy.

This is exactly the scenario you want to avoid. Imagine losing out on a job because your former crush has crushed your reputation.

If you start to develop a stronger bond with a co-worker, consider keeping things platonic until one of you is no longer working directly with the other. Ways to achieve this include transferring departments, locations, or even one of you finding another employer.

A lot of successful relationships begin because people met at work. Determining whether a prospect is serious or just casual fun is the key to discovering the amount of risk you’ll be taking by crossing that line.

So before starting a workplace dalliance, make sure you’ve actually thought about what the aftermath could mean for your career. Isn’t your future earning power worth more than a casual hook-up?