Disadvantages of Inter-office Dating

Most people find dating at work a thrill and a challenge. Since you spend so much time with the individuals at your place of employment, it would seem that you could start a relationship with a person at work and it would be destined to work.

But that's not to case. When dating at work there are a lot of disadvantages that can come into play. Many opponents of dating at work can a full list of reasons why people should avoid relationships.

Some of these reasons are absolutely valid, while others probably won't hold much water. But all of that depends on the view you have to begin with.

Here are a few stated disadvantages of dating at work.

1. Becoming preoccupied

It is possible for two individuals who date at work to become preoccupied with their relationship which takes away from their work performance. True, you can say that this would happen with any person who's in a relationship, but when you have two people in the same office the impact is doubled and can be visibly noticed.

To kick back to this is that people who have relationships at work try their best to seem "normal" to keep eyes off of them. Most try not to draw attention to their relationship and will engage each other as colleagues instead of a couple.

2. The cover-up

Another disadvantage to dating at work is having one person cover up for the other. As with any relationship, men and women would cover up to protect the other in any situation. This is no different. But the facts remains that if one person's performance is slipping the other may put in the extra work or launch an excuse campaign to cover up their deficiencies.

3. Initiating influence.

A top objection of dating at work is the fear that one person will have an influence over another when it comes to business decisions. This can lead to unwarranted promotions, firings or even client relationships. Although you would hope that all influence is positive, personal feelings will always interfere and could have a damaging affect.

4. Juggling jealousy

Ah yes, the age old monster rears its ugly head. Jealousy at work can cause major issues, and I mean major. It's not uncommon for a person to be jealous of their mate's relationship with another coworker. It does not have to be said the damage and confusion this can cause in the office.

This can be an office issue if the couples involved have jealousy between them. Professional jealousy can be just as distracting as inter-office relationship jealousy can.

If you're thinking about dating in the office, then keep these in mind to determine if it's worth the effort.