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Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

Ah, dating in the workplace. The stuff sitcoms, dramas and movies are made of. We live in a society that idealizes the concept of finding ‘the one’ for you at work. But maybe that’s not what we’re after at all – perhaps we just want a casual fling with a coworker. Whatever the case may be for you, we’re going to go deep on answering this burning question: Is dating a coworker a bad idea? I will also give my honest opinion. Let’s begin.

The Run-Down About Dating A Coworker: Consider These Factors

Here are some factors you may not have considered as to whether an office romance is feasible:

Size Of The Office: Do you have 2 or 200 coworkers? The fewer you have, the more a relationship will be noticed by everyone else.
Size Of Each Age Group At Work: How many coworkers are in the age range you’d consider dating? Having many is good for non-serious relationships and is less visible to management. It also means that there’s more selection…and competition. This can get tricky when ‘feels’ get involved.
Geography: A coworker may live hours away from you if they live in the exact opposite direction as you do and you both commute a fair distance. Just something to think about.
The Company Ladder: Is your person-of-interest a boss or subordinate? Keeping this relationship going while also being objective at work (i.e. no overlap) is quite the challenge. If this person is in the same role as you, they might end up being your competition for a promotion. Food for thought.
Just The Beginning…: You really don’t know that much about your coworkers until you spend some real time with them outside of work. The person you like at work may have a completely different life than you and wants to keep it that way. Of course, this risk exists in any dating scenario, but there are intangible differences about this when it’s a coworker. This point isn’t made to go against dating a coworker, but it is something to be aware of.

All of that said, we’re still scratching the surface. Scroll below to read more!

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Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

My opinion about dating a coworker is……

It’s a BAD idea if you want to advance at your company and stay there long term
It’s a GOOD idea if you’re not looking for anything serious AND don’t have huge dependence or aspirations at your place of work

Me? I haven’t had a job outside of construction since I was 17. Since then, I’ve either worked in the field doing bridge demolition/concrete work [where I was not even thinking about romance for many reasons] or working for a contractor in Project Management.

I always planned to advance at wherever I’ve worked, which required that my performance be as high (i.e. focused) as possible. It also meant I needed to stay there for at least a few years at a time.

To me, dating a coworker would distract me from working and I’d run the risk of having romance-related ‘stuff’ overflow into my work life. By work life, I also mean future.

In short, I never felt it appropriate to date a coworker for the specific reasons stated above. Your experience could be different.

It only goes two ways: an office romance can go well, or it can go poorly.

If it goes well, it’ll get more serious with time. You’ll then be spending the majority of your work day and home life around this person. That can be a bit much for many people, even those who think it won’t be.

A serious romantic relationship at work can be distracting for many reasons. The time you may spend interacting with your partner instead of working can start adding up, leading to lack of focus and performance. Also, emotions can get involved where they shouldn’t. If a manager or coworker is reprimanding your partner, you’ll feel the urge to intervene and support them. What if they’re in the wrong? In the company’s eyes, that’s a big conflict of interest…

If it goes badly, the situation is worse. If you need to interact with this person after a romance fizzles out, you could find it awkward to do so. It might feel weird to even be near them. What if they strike up another romance? Could you handle coming to work each day and not get distracted?

These questions and concerns sound pretty unromantic, but it’s reality! Reality sucks sometimes, but what can ya do.

At The End Of The Day…It’s Your Decision!

If you came here wondering “Is dating a coworker a bad idea?“, I hope you’ve gained some clarity from what’s been discussed here. Either way, it’s ultimately your decision! You have the free will to do as you choose.

Thanks for reading.

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Day In The Life, Mindset, Modern Workplace, Philosophy, Professional Etiquette, Survival In The Workplace, Teamwork, Work-Life Balance

Pat Finnegan

Hello! I'm Patrick, the creator of PM Problems. I have an educational background in Civil Engineering and I've worked in the construction industry since 2008, working on many types of projects in that time. I love talking about project management as well as helping others learn and grow!

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Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

The Run-Down About Dating A Coworker: Consider These Factors

Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

At The End Of The Day…It’s Your Decision!

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Pat Finnegan

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Is My Boss Manipulating Me? Here Are 12 Signs Of A Manipulative Boss

What Do Building Inspectors Do? 4 Construction Inspector Responsibilities

Buying Materials For Contractors Directly? The Pros & Cons To Consider

My Boss Doesn’t Have My Back: What Should I Do? My 5 Personal Tips

Do Construction Managers Have To Travel? Let’s Break It Down

Writing Skills For Project Managers: These 6 Are Essential For Success

Tracking Construction Productivity: A Few Examples [Free Excel Template]

6 Project Management Lessons From Enron & Their Historic Collapse

6 Things I Learned While Working For A Failing Company

Is Project Management Competitive? The Answer Is Complicated

For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs: 5 Tips From Experience

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Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

The Run-Down About Dating A Coworker: Consider These Factors

Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

At The End Of The Day…It’s Your Decision!

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Pat Finnegan

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