The 7 dos and donts of an office romance

The 7 dos and donts of an office romanceThe 7 dos and donts of an office romanceAs the saying goes, love knows no boundaries, so when youre having to spend seven or eight hours a day with the same group of people, its not uncommon to find yourself developing romantic feelings towards a co-worker you get on with particularly well.Most workplaces wont have a problem with this as long as you follow the rules, but that doesnt mean that it wont complicate other areas of your life.The workplace experts behindLondonOffices.comhave revealed seven tips to enkoranvers office romances are handled correctly.Workers struck by cupids arrow within the confines of the office walls should make sure theyre keeping a lid on PDAs but they should never go out of their way to completely hide a romantic relationship with a colleague.By preparing themselves for potential backlash amongst co-workers and refraining from dating superiors or subordinates, workers should be able to balance their personal and pr ofessional lives quite easily.1. Know the rulesIf youve recently entered into a romantic relationship with one of your colleagues, one of the best places to start is with your company handbook. Inform yourself and your partner about what policies the firm has in place regarding conducting a romantic relationship in the workplace, so that once you know the rules, you can try your best not to break them.2. Dont date your superiorsOffice politics and hierarchy should be top-of-mind, particularly when it comes to office romances, and by dating your boss or a subordinate youre practically asking for trouble. People will be more inclined to gossip about your business, and this can get messy. Your colleagues might also assume that youre going to be first in line for things like promotions and raises which will only sour your relationship with them.3. Disclose itIf your relationship doesnt follow the rules of your companys dating policy, you might be tempted to hide it but this is stron gly advised against. Disclosing your relationship may put you at risk of disciplinary action, but with the relationship out in the open, its easier to not let it impact your work performance.4. Dont make it obviousEven if your relationship is out in the open, when youre within the office walls, you shouldnt treat your partner like a partner, but simply as your co-worker. Not only should you be considerate of how your colleagues feel about your PDAs, but you also need to show that both your work and treatment of other co-workers wont waiver. Do everything you can to squash the perception that your boyfriend or girlfriend is receiving special treatment because of your relationship.5. Prepare yourselfJealousy can be an unfortunate staple of any regular relationship, but this is particularly the case when it comes to office romances both amongst your colleagues and between you and your partner. What if you both want to go for the same promotion, for example? Its also worth noting that n ormally, youd be able to go home and vent your workplace frustrations to your spouse, but this dynamic will work a bit differently when the troubles are a direct result of your relationship. You should prepare yourself for every consequence.6. Address issues after-hoursWhen youre spending almost every waking minute with your partner, its easy to let personal issues spill into the office hours, but you should never, ever fight or argue at work, particularly about frustrations at home. Similarly, when youve reached a new level of comfort with someone like your partner, you may find yourself being a being too abrupt or argumentative about a work situation with them than you would be with a regular co-worker. You need to ensure there are boundaries from both sides, and never overstep them.7. Find an alternativeIf youve followed all the tips above but still find that your relationship is causing tensions or animosity in your office or at home you might want to have a serious conversati on with your partner about one of you looking for a new job. Spending every waking moment with someone even if youre super compatible or theyre the love of your life can take its toll, after all.This article was originally published on YourCoffeeBreak.co.uk.