You can find love at workplace: Survey

New Delhi, Feb 9
Can office be the place for finding love? If one goes by a survey, many workers are attracted to people who work in similar jobs as them.

Ahead of Valentine's Day, online jobs site CareerBuilder.in's annual survey on office romance found that 36 percent of Indian workers have dated someone who worked for the same company, and 37 percent said they went on to marry the person.

The national survey was conducted online in January 2015 and included a representative sample of 1,000 full-time workers across industries and company sizes.

While 56 percent of the workers said they were attracted to people who work in similar jobs as them, for some, office romances can be potentially career risky. Of those who have had an office romance, 55 percent have dated their boss, and around 68 per cent workers have admitted to dating someone in a higher position than them.

Also, 34 percent of those surveyed have had an affair with a co-worker where one person involved was married at the time.

Secrecy is an issue.

In days when social media networking is on a high, 71 percent of the workers said they have had to keep their office romance a secret, although 72 per cent have accidentally run into co-workers while out on a date with their office sweetheart.

Tips for handling a workplace romance:

* Check the company handbook: Some companies have strict policies around office romances. Acquaint yourself with the rules before turning a professional relationship into a personal one.

* Proceed with caution: Some romances lead to marriage, but others can lead to disaster. Seven percent of workers reported having to leave their jobs because of an office romance that soured. Take the time to get to know someone first and carefully weigh risks and benefits.

* Compartmentalise: Keep your work life separate from your home life. Avoid public display of affection in the office and don’t involve co-workers in personal disagreements.

* Think before you post: Be careful what you post on social media. You can end up spilling the beans on your relationship before you’re ready to discuss it.