New Study Suggests Office Relationships Are Super Widespread

The Story

Ever had the hots for a coworker? Felt like you had a little flirtatious thing going on, or told your friends you had a ‘work wife’ or a ‘work husband’? You’re far from alone.

That’s because, even though dating a coworker is often considered inappropriate or simply a bad idea, according to a recent study, it’s apparently wildly common.

RELATED: Why We Fall in Love With Coworkers

The Snapshot

According to the Workplace Romance Report by Zety, any taboos, regulations or official guidelines against inter-office romances don’t seem to be having much of an effect.

RELATED: What It’s Like to Sleep With a Coworker

That’s because their survey of 1,000 U.S. workers showed about 800 of them admitting to having experienced some form of liaison with a coworker, manager or subordinate.

Perhaps more fascinatingly, these weren’t just situation-based dalliances or one-night stands. Well over half of the people who had experienced such a situation said they’d rather lose their job and stay together with the (now-) former coworker than keep the job but break things off.

The Lesson

If you’ve ever had a job where you worked closely with other people around your age with possibly similar skill sets and overlapping interests or backgrounds, you may be familiar with the concept that sometimes, you find yourself highly attracted to someone else in the organization.

Even if companies are aware that people exploring such attractions could easily lead to inappropriate conduct, it seems like it might just be human nature to find yourself attracted to someone out of a pool of people you spend a lot of time around.

RELATED: Everyone You Shouldn't Sleep With, Ranked

However, just because it’s common still doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Sometimes, it’s better to let things be fantasies rather than trying to make them a reality.

You Might Also Dig: