Nearly one-fifth have dated boss
Love is in the air and it’s wafting its way through the office, according to a CareerBuilder survey. Thirty-eight per cent of workers said they have dated a co-worker at least once over the course of their career; 17 per cent reported dating co-workers at least twice.
And 31 per cent said their office romance led them to the altar, found the survey of more 7,780 workers in the United States.
While most relationships developed between workers in comparable job levels, 28 per cent of workers who dated a co-worker said they dated someone above them in the company hierarchy, and 18 per cent admitted to dating their boss.
Women were more likely to date someone higher up in their organization — 35 per cent compared to 23 per cent of men, found CareerBuilder.
Hospitality leads the top five industries for office romances, coming in significantly higher than the national average when it comes to how many people have dated a co-worker:
•hospitality (47 per cent)
•financial services (45 per cent)
•transportation and utilities (43 per cent)
•information technology (40 per cent)
•health care (38 per cent).
More than one-quarter (26 per cent) of workers reported that what someone does for a living influences whether they would date that person. Five per cent said someone broke up with them because either their job required too
While most workers tended to date people in different professions or functions, 19 per cent reported they are more attracted to people who have a similar job, found the survey.
Most workers who have had office romances said they were open about their dating situation. Thirty-seven per cent reported they had to keep the relationship under wraps.
“Whether you’re dating someone higher up or a colleague at the same level, office romances are always tricky,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “First and foremost, it is important to know your company’s office dating policy. Remember to stay professional and draw a boundary line between your personal life and the workplace.”
