Ahhhh, romance. What a lovely word; what a wonderful concept - romance. Whether at home, on the street, or in the office, we all dream of finding that special someone and sharing "romance". Once we find that one person with whom we want to be romantic we will let nothing stop us - not even the boss.

In most cases we can't pick and choose who we are attracted to. As human beings we have various physical and emotional needs and wants that only a member of the opposite sex can fulfill. At various times during our lives we come across someone that we feel is "the one" to meet those needs and wants. We don't pick the time and place, it just happens and we relish the experience and we are thankful for the opportunity to share "romance".

Sometimes the object of our affection is a co-worker. My thoughts are, "...great, this is convenient...we can see each other every day!" But,the stigma attached to an office romance is such that we may think we need to stifle feelings and hide our attraction.

The very office "politics" (policies) that are designed to protect the employer and to keep productivity at an acceptable level may actually result in us becoming less productive. "Old school" thinking has us believing that we can't work with someone to whom we are attracted. The thought is that we will be so distracted that our work will suffer.

In fact, just the opposite occurs. If we are forced to hold our feelings in we become restless and inattentive, no matter where we are. It is possible that we will become quite testy and irritable and will lash out at fellow workers due to our pent up frustrations.

In the end, though, our hearts win out. Whether against the rules or not our relationship begins within the office environment and then spills over into our private lives.

At what point should this relationship become a concern of the employer? It shouldn't be a concern, unless productivity and quality of work is affected. If not, the boss should be happy to have two content employees on the payroll.

And, just to set the record straight, an office romance does not necessarily mean an "affair". Single folks have to work for a living, too, you know.

Why can't office romances be stopped? Because we simply cannot tell our hearts who and where to love.

Learn more about this author, James Dreyer.
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