While some companies don't mind office/workplace romances, there are others with strict codes of conduct and guidelines which govern workplace/office romances. They even go as far as to explicitly state in your work contract that you will be fired should this occur.
With this is mind, however, there are some realities that do exist at the workplace:
1) Most professionals spend most of their waking hours i.e. at least 8-13 hours each day, at work, leaving less time for dating other people outside of work and increasing the possibility of office/workplace romances.
2) Your peers at work are just as (and may be more :)) intelligent, witty, funny as you are and may share similar backgrounds - e.g. previous places of work, same school/college, same country of origin; similar values and similar interests e.g. sports, movie and music genres.
As a result:-
2a) Some strong friendships are formed at the workplace.
2b) Some strong marriages are formed from workplace romances.
3) Your computer activity and e-mail are constantly monitored by your bosses (and legally so - they want to ensure that you're not goofing off on the job or being the corporate spy or leak :)). [They should, however, advise you of this beforehand].
4) There are some persons (your subordinates) who may wish to sleep with you in order to get promoted.
5) There are representatives from some companies with whom your company does business who may want to sleep with you in order to get that very important contract or be at the front of the line for selection for same.
6) Most relationships will end and if ended badly, and the person is vindictive, he/she could try to "burn you" by exposing the gory details about your relationship to your peers, subordinates and/or bosses. He/she could even sue you for sexual harassment.
7) Being in an office romance could hinder your objectivity towards the co-worker you're involved with, which could negatively affect your job performance.
8) Being in an office romance and engaging in romantic activity at work, could be caught on videotape.
So in response to the question, should you have an office romance? I would say:
If your company explicitly frowns on workplace romances:
1) Don't have them...you will be fired as soon as it's discovered (as was the case of Boeing's CEO Harry C. Stonecipher and one of it's VPs, Debra Peabody).
2) If you're so convinced that your office romance will lead to marriage or is worth giving up your job for, then do just that. One of you should leave the job and find another :).
If your company allows it, go ahead if:
1) You've weighed the pros and cons and have decided that the pros for your relationship outnumber the cons.
2) Both of you are entering the relationship for the right reasons - love, not manipulation.
3) Both of you are in different departments, business units or subsidiaries; can conduct the relationship discreetly, and can be mature about it (no matter the end-result).
4) The person you're involved with is not your boss/subordinate and will never become your boss or subordinate :).
That's what I think...what do you think?
...Would you have an office romance?
Why/why not?
Resources for more information:
1) Article, Office Romance by F. John Reh, About.com
2) Article, Office Romance: When Does it Make Sense to Mix Business With Pleasure? by Coulson Duerksen, Discovery Health
3) Article, Office Romance by Curt Smith, Relationship Correspondent - AskMen.com
Tags: Office romance, romance, dating, Peabody, Stonecipher, job, boss, subordinate, workplace romance, workplace, love, manipulation
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