Love in the Workplace

Feb. 12, 2010
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, which means love is in the air – and maybe even in the workplace. According to one Ryerson University professor, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A recent study shows most colleagues aren’t bothered by office romances as long as they don’t negatively affect the workplace.

“Most people believe romantic relationships are OK as long as they don’t affect productivity, de-motivate other colleagues or have an impact on the overall work environment,” said Nina Cole, an associate professor in the Ted Rogers School of Business Management.

Cole’s study investigated coworker’s perceptions of fairness regarding workplace romance management practices. In the modern workplace, romances are very common, explained Cole. A 2005 study by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Wall Street Journal found that 40 per cent of employees said that they had engaged in a workplace romance at some point in their careers.

Recipe for Romance

There are several reasons for the phenomenon of on-the-job dating. In addition to higher divorce rates, more people are staying single longer or are not marrying at all. Combined with long work hours, this is a recipe for workplace romance. In the past, such relationships were considered inappropriate and often provoked disciplinary action. Today, however, managers take a more laissez-faire approach toward office romances.

Cole’s study involved 100 employees who were pursuing either full- or part-time studies at Ryerson University, and who had, at one point, observed a romance in the workplace. The majority of those romances involved two single employees (75 percent) in a peer-working relationship (76 percent) in the same department (65 percent). The average length of these office romances was 20 months.

The study found that participants believe certain conditions warranted managerial action with office romances, such as when the performance of coworkers was negatively affected; where the work environment was negatively impacted; and when negative emotion from a breakup affected a work environment previously unaffected by a workplace romance.

Employees also believe action should be taken when there is an office romance between a manager and an employee in the same department.

“Clearly, there are specific situations when coworkers perceive that managerial action should be taken,” Cole said. “But they don’t believe action should be taken all of the time.”

Cole stressed it is important to implement policies about office romances even though it’s an acceptable practice most of the time. “Even a general policy is good,” Cole said. “It acknowledges that office romances are a fact of organizational life, but it also sends the message that you shouldn’t let romantic relationships affect the workplace.”

“A Workplace Romance: A Justice Analysis” was published in December 2009 in the Journal of Business and Psychology.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

Sponsored Recommendations

Committing to Safety: Why Leadership’s Role in Safety Excellence is Key

Jan. 13, 2025
Leadership has the power to transform an organization through their behavior and vision, which can result in the creation of an organizational culturethat supports safety excellence...

Speak Up! Cementing "See Something, Say Something" to Drive Safety

Jan. 13, 2025
Many organizations promote "see something, say something" to encourage their people to intervene and make work safe. But most don't go far enough to equip teams with the skills...

The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

Jan. 13, 2025
DEKRA announces its latest white paper, “The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease,” as a definitive look into why being vulnerable to incidents strengthens our commitment...

Mitigating Risks: Strategies for Safeguarding Workers in Hazardous Workplaces

Jan. 13, 2025
Join our expert team in taking on the challenge to make safety part of your organization’s DNA as work, the workforce, and workplaces evolve.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!