Love continues to spring eternal in the workplace, according to the most recent annual survey on the subject conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management.
Of the workers who are currently in a workplace romance or were in one before, 57% said their primary motivation for beginning the romance was love, while only 1% said it was “job-related.”
Because more than two in five workers say they aware of co-workers currently in a workplace romance or who has been in one before, these love-driven motivations may be reassuring, SHRM says.
In fact, 75% of workers report they are comfortable with people at their workplace being involved in a romantic relationship, and 83% say they respect or would respect someone who is in one. However, 75% of workers are not open to being involved in a workplace romance themselves and 40% still believe workplace romances are unprofessional.
Employers need to be prepared to deal with these kinds of situations when they arise, said SHRM President Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.
“If workers are finding romance in their workplace setting, whether hybrid, remote or in person, it’s key that employers have a workplace romance policy in place to protect employees in these situations, be it from favoritism, retaliation or sexual harassment, and to ensure working relationships — and workplaces — continue to run smoothly.”
SHRM also found 87% of workers who have been in a workplace romance say that work-related issues didn’t contribute much or at all to their breakup, but 13% said work-related issues contributed somewhat or a great deal. In addition, nearly one in five workers who have been in a workplace romance (18%) say it negatively impacted their careers.
