Valentine's Day Survey: How Many Date a Co-worker?
Four-in-ten (or 40%) workers reveal they have dated a co-worker at some
time during their careers, with 18% admitting to doing it twice or more,
according to CareerBuilder.com's annual office romance survey of over
8,000 workers. More than three-in-ten (31%) said they went on to marry
the person they dated at work.
It
reveals that office courtships may be stemming from current workplace
crushes. And 10% of workers currently work with someone who they would
like to date, with more men (14%) than women (5%) reporting they would
like to do so.
Workers
aren't just interested in dating their peers. Among workers who dated a
co-worker in the last year, 34% admit they have dated someone with a
higher position in their company. Of those who have dated a higher up in
the last year, 42% have dated their boss; female workers more so than
males, at 47% and 38%, respectively.
"Employees spend many hours interacting with co-workers, so it's not
unusual for romances to spark," said Rosemary Haefner, VP of Human
Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "While workplace relationships may be
more accepted these days, with 72% of workers saying they didn't have to
keep their romance a secret, it's still important for workers to keep it
professional and not let their relationship impact their work."
The
survey says 12% of workers reported that their relationships started
when they ran into each other outside of work. Some other situations
where office romances found their spark included:
Workers
provided the following top five examples of the most romantic things
they have done in the office:
-
Had a drink together up
on the roof.
-
Danced to the elevator
music in the hallway.
-
Ate a late night picnic
with candles after everyone had left.
-
After a meeting, picked
up my girlfriend in a limo and proposed to her.
-
Left each other love
post-it notes.
The
survey also showed the repercussions of workplace romance, with 7% of
workers saying they have left a job due to an office romance.
The
survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on
behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 8,038 employees between Nov.12 and
Dec.1, 2008.
