Dating at Work

It's an unfortunate fact that in the busy lives of today's singletons there's not much time left over from work in which to meet potential dates. For this reason more and more people have chosen to start dating at work. Work has become people's whole lives and (especially for people who like their jobs) the focal point of their personalities, so it only makes sense that they would want to date the people they can relate to - i.e. other employees at the same company. However, before you start booking one of the many wedding halls Mississauga has to offer for your nuptuals with the hunky sales rep, you should also realize that dating at work can also result in getting fired, transferred, or reprimanded.

Before you even consider asking out that hottie in the cubicle down the hall, you should check your company's policy on intra-office dating. Some allow it, some place restrictions on it like "no dating within your department" or "no dating your subordinates" and some forbid it completely. While this may seem unfair to you, bosses make these rules for the same reason they sometimes compel their employees to use drug screening kits: because they have the company's standard of work to think of. Dating in the office can lead to broken relationships, bad office communication, and deadlines not being met because employees are too busy diving under their desk every time their exes walk by their cubicles.

Some workplaces don't need to regulate intra-office dating. Catering in Toronto is an excellent way to meet potential dates because you would be serving many different people who wouldn't be your clients anymore once the event is over, so you could safely date them. By contrast, the military has extremely strict rules on dating within the service, especially dating your direct superiors, because you are responsible for their lives and dating them would be a breach of their trust.

Even if your company does allow intra-office dating you still have to be careful. Making advances at work can lead to you getting charged with sexual harassment, so tread carefully. Ask the person out in the most respectful manner possible, preferably privately in case he or she might feel pressured to answer a certain way if their co-workers can hear. So nix the wall word art spelling out "Darlene, You've Got Great Legs, Want to Wrap Them Around Me? - Dave" and instead contrive to leave the building at the same time as she does and ask her to get a cup of coffee with you.

If you are successful, you need to make sure the relationship doesn't bleed over inappropriately into the workplace. For instance, if you and your beloved are picking out lacey dresses in bridal magazines and looking at Scarborough homes for sale with enough bedrooms for all the kids you plan to have while your co-workers are slaving over a progress report, they're going to resent you for it and your working relationship with them will suffer.