One In Three Employees Have Dated A Co-Worker
Sure a lot of people want a job that allows them to work remotely but, it does make dating a co-worker much more challenging. Let’s face it, as nice as…
Successful african american business couple talking and using digital tablet
Sure a lot of people want a job that allows them to work remotely but, it does make dating a co-worker much more challenging. Let's face it, as nice as it is to work from home most days, it can get a little tedious and lonely if the only face you see is on Zoom or Teams.
Many advantages to dating someone that you work with because you can learn a lot about somebody from 9 to 5. For instance, you can see how this person gets along with others at work. Are they a team player and part of the people who take their work seriously but enjoy the company of others?
Are they loaners who prefer to work by themselves? Maybe they are extremely motivated and want to get ahead. Either way, when you spend upwards of 40 hours a week with a person, you learn a lot about them.
It’s funny because on our show, there are three of us, my cohost Lauren met her husband Dave at their previous job working for the Boston Herald. I met my wife Carolyn working at a radio station back in the late 80s and early 90s. Our producer, Aaron didn’t meet his wife at work, he met her online during the Covid lockdowns.
That makes two out of three of us meeting someone and dating someone at work. Which goes along with a new survey that says exactly that.
Go to work and get a mate?
Research from Mount Royal University found that 1 in 3 Canadian employees have dated a colleague. Younger workers aged 18 to 34 reported the highest rates at 41%. Similar trends appear in the U.S. and U.K., where 18% of partnered respondents met their significant other at work. While such relationships can boost job satisfaction and teamwork, they may also cause issues like favoritism or trust concerns, especially with power imbalances.
Canada has no laws banning consensual workplace relationships, but employers must ensure a respectful environment. Many companies have policies on disclosure and supervisor-subordinate relationships.
Nearly half of Canadian employees in workplace relationships keep them secret, often from management. Experts recommend understanding workplace policies and setting boundaries to protect both careers and relationships.
