Dos and Don'ts

For those of you who are contemplating an office romance, here are some dos and don'ts of dating at work:

DO check your company's policy on intra-office dating

If you enjoy having fancy California business cards with your name and job title on them, you'd better make sure you won't get fired if you hand one to a co-worker with a request for a date on the back. If your company has rules against it, don't go behind their backs, because they almost always find out and the fact that you lied to them will add to their ire. Instead, if you're really set on the relationship, see if you can work around the rules by transferring to another department.

DON'T make your move in the workplace

Your company expects you to be professional while you're in the office. Plus, you don't want to give gossipy co-workers any material that could come back and bite you. If at all possible, ask your co-worker out during a lunch break away from work or while entering or leaving. If your company has sponsored an outing for its employees like a picnic or a box during the Semi-Pro-Girl hockey tournament, that would also be a great time to ask.

DO ask in person

Your company email addresses may seem like the obvious way to communicate since you work together, but your emails may not always be private. Your bosses or your company's IT professionals may be monitoring your messages, either for disciplinary or maintenance purposes. Also, even though it's the information age and everyone is using email for everything, it's still much classier to speak to people face to face.

DON'T expose yourself to complaints of sexual harassment

This applies equally to men and women, since complaints can go either way. Remember: this person doesn't know you yet. If you try to be funny by using an overly sexual pick-up line he or she may not get the joke. Then not only will you get in trouble with HR and maybe even the law, he or she will probably have ranked you in their minds only slightly higher than a steaming vat of effluent treatment chemical.

DO have your dates away from work

If your company sends the two of you on a business trip to research Puerto Vallarta real estate, it's unprofessional to make out on the ocean-view balconies you're supposed to be rating. Instead, complete your work first and then, if your company has allowed you free time during the trip, take your co-worker out for salsa dancing and a margarita - away from your clients and the accommodations provided by the company.

DON'T use your work equipment for your personal life

Having a relationship with a co-worker is fine, but if you think it's okay to rack up charges calling your beloved from Russia on the international cell phone your company has provided you with for traveling, think again. Personal calls should be made on personal phones only and paid for out of your own pocket. Just because you both work for them doesn't mean all your conversations are work related.