Dont Shit Where You Eat

BY J.T. O'DONNELLBeing in HR for many years, I've seen plenty of office romances. While some ended with a marriage (and a really fun wedding to go to), most ended badly and often required termination of one or both employees. Therefore, if you seek advice on whether or not you should date a co-worker, the folks in HR will tell you, "Heck NO!" In fact, they'll tell you to avoid it at all costs. THAT BEING SAID...Office romance is here to stay. Sometimes, there's just no stopping it. Especially, since having a partner to share our life with is a goal for many people. In my experience, everyone who strikes up a workplace relationship goes into it thinking the best: "We'll be the ones that live happily ever after." Or, "We're on the same page, so nobody's going to get hurt." Thus, over the years, I've come to take a slightly different approach when people ask me about whether they should date a co-worker."DATE A CO-WORKER TEST" = ARE YOU READY TO JOB SEARCH?If you want to date someone in the office, ask yourself this question: "Am I ready to look for a job at a moment's notice?""In fact, go a step further and ponder this: "Do I have the skills and professional network in place to be able to find a new job quickly, if necessary?""""HERE'S WHY:The odds are this romance will not end well. I've seen people get fired for breaking the "no dating in the office" policy. I've seen spouses walk in and publicly humiliate the co-worker sleeping with their spouse, only to watch the employee be walked to the door an hour later. I've seen powerful managers lose their job and their reputation due to a harassment lawsuit from a lower-level employee they dated and dumped.BUT HONESTLY, WORST OF ALL... I've seen two really nice co-workers split and watched them both suffer miserably coming into work each day. They went from fun and engaging to serious and stressed out. Not to mention, it wasn't really fair to the people who had to work with them.My On-the-Job Dating TipYou're an adult and free to date whoever you want. Just be sure you go into the relationship informed and understanding some of the negative outcomes that have occurred in the past with office romances.Most importantly, if you choose to date someone in the office, spend some extra time getting your:Profile optimized.Resume updated.Networking efforts up-to-speed.That way, if it doesn't end up the way you hoped, you're ready to move on and find a new opportunity where you won't have to work alongside your ex. Trust me, looking for work when you're emotionally compromised is pretty tough. Better to have the above in place so you can manage the process as quickly and efficiently as possible.WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON OFFICE ROMANCE? Share your thought below...IF YOU FIND VALUE IN HTTP://VENITISM.BLOGSPOT.COM, PLEASE SUPPORT IT BY CLICKING THE DONATE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT COLUMN.