Let’s not beat around the bush here, if you’ve got a job right now- you’re pretty damn lucky. If you’re in a Mills and Boons type relationship with a Ryan Reynolds-esque guy then you’ve hit the jackpot. But is it wise to mix the two? This week at Company HQ we’ve been discussing if it’s a good idea to work with your man?
It seems more and more couples are working together these days, be it starting their own business, working in the same building, rocking the stage with a new song or lighting up the big and small screens.
It’s no surprise people are hooking up at work when latest research from Hallmark.co.uk has shown the work place is fast becoming the new place to meet someone, a poll taken by reed.co.uk revealed a quarter of us admit to having fallen for someone we work with.
There are some positives and a thrill element to working with someone you’re sleeping with and some have been pretty successful in doing so, it has worked well for some couples, Jay Z and Beyonce, RPatz and K-Stew, old timers-Richard and Judy. At least if you both were to go for a promotion, you’re chances of a bigger household income are doubled.
Sneaking a kiss in the lift or a naughty (quiet) romp in the office can turn an, otherwise, boring day into an exciting one. Cheeky grins over the remembrance of the night before can liven up a dull meeting.
However, over 62% of 1,300 workers asked said dating a colleague can have a negative impact on performance at work, while over 35% believe dating a co-worker is unacceptable. After considering these reasons, I can understand why. In any relationship break-ups are tough but how much worse will it be having to see the guy (or girl) who just broke your heart day in- day out?
Entering work with swollen blood shot eyes is a no-no as you’ll refuse to lose face by showing you’ve cried or/and not slept the whole night. Running to the loos for a much needed afternoon sob is out of the question as he is bound to hear about it through office gossip and believe me there will be office gossip. Even worse still, what if he starts seeing someone new? Hearing him talk sweet nothings down the phone to his new beau and hearing about his dirty weekends away with said new beau will not be good for the soul.
Then there’s-what I like to call- ‘Pocket Syndrome’ as in ‘living in each others’. Sometimes couples just need ‘me’ time but how can you when you wake up together, commute together, work together, lunch together, commute back together, dine together then go to bed together? Where’s the ‘me’ time in that?
There are some people who are romanticists when it comes to working with their partners but it’s dangerous up there on cloud 9 as it will hit that much harder when a storm of realism brings that relationship crashing down. Me, I’m a realist; I prefer to keep love in the bedroom and work in the boardroom. What do you think?
By Karine Le-Blanc
