Dating myth or reality? – Office affairs

Last Update : March 1, 2017

There is something exciting about having an affair at the office. Perhaps it is because of the thrills of getting caught by one of your other workmates -in spite you position yourself in a risky situation, if you get caught the consequences can be huge- or perhaps it is because you are breaking the rules.

Undoubtedly, having a romance at the work place has always been, and currently still is one of the most popular erotic fantasies, but nowadays, do people really jeopardize their jobs just to enjoy a secret affair at the office?

The dating hypothesis: people have dated a co-worker at least once in their lifetime

Despite the many obvious contradictions, it seems that the work space is good place to initiate a romance. A study carried in 2013 by the HR company Career Builder showed that 38% of workers living in the USA have dated a co-worker at least once over the course of their career.

In addition, a survey conducted by Vault.com in 2014 proved that over 50% of business professionals in the States have, at some point, been involved in an office affair.

The situation is not just only about having a casual affair. Some office adventures result in a long-term commitment. The author Diane Maple published in 2004 a book called “How to Date in a Post-Dating World”, which talks about modern ways of courtship, and she showed evidence that nowadays, four out of 10 workplace dating relationship ends up in marriage. So, looking at the figures, one may think that trying to find love in the office might not be such a crazy idea at all.

Men’s perspective

Vault.com’s Office Romance Survey showed that both men, and women equally engage in workplace relationships, but the romantic perspectives, and the consequences vary depending on the genre.

Nowadays, it seems that a vast majority of men, single or already married, prefer to dive into casual relationships at the office, basically random hook-ups, rather than to initiate something long-term. And when the do so, they are more likely to choose a woman who is under their professional level rather than their boss, something like the typical female secretary – male supervisor adventure.

Women’s perspective

Females are just the opposite. The number of women confessing having a love story with a colleague at the office that resulted in a long-lasting relationship is higher than the number of women who sought a temporary affair. And what is the type of workmate women prefer to date? There are more women who have confessed having a romance with their boss than with a guy who works in a subordinate position.

Dating myth or reality?

Having a casual affair or even dating seriously a work colleague or your boss is now more accepted than years ago. In spite the many risks, many men, and women do not hesitate to get involved with someone they work with. However, there are some differences between how males, and females date at their workplace. All in all, it seems that office romances nowadays are more a like a real thing rather than a clerk’s secret fantasy!