Nearly Forty Percent of Workers Have Dated a Co-Worker, Finds Annual CareerBuilder Valentine's Day Survey

--Nearly One-Third End Up Marrying Co-Workers They Dated--

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Feb 09, 2010, 07:00 ET

CHICAGO, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Economy up, economy down, one thing remains the same: love is in the air at the office. Nearly four-in-ten (37 percent) workers said they have dated a co-worker at some time during their careers, in line with the 40 percent who said the same in both 2009 and 2008. Additionally, 32 percent said they went on to marry the person they dated at work. This is according to CareerBuilder's annual office romance survey of more than 5,200 workers.

Some workers are dating those above them on the office ladder. When it comes to dating higher ups, women were more likely than men to date someone above them in their company's hierarchy. Thirty percent of women said they have dated someone who holds a higher position in their organization; 19 percent of men report they have done the same.

"Workplace relationships are more accepted these days, with 67 percent of workers saying they aren't keeping their romance a secret. However, it is the responsibility of the individuals to understand company policy and make sure they adhere to it," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Employees are working longer hours and under increased pressure, creating an environment that could cause relationships to bloom. Workers need to keep it professional under all circumstances, though, to ensure that the quality of their work is not negatively impacted."

Some workplace relationships may have their beginnings in current workplace crushes. Eight percent of workers currently work with someone who they would like to date, with more men (11 percent) than women (4 percent) reporting they would like to do so.

Twelve percent of workers reported that their relationships started when they ran into each other outside of work. Some other situations where Cupid's arrow flew between co-workers:

Happy hour
Lunch
Working late at the office
Company holiday party
Business trip

Haefner offers the following tips for workers who may want to spark a workplace romance:

Know your company's office relationship policy: While some companies are completely open to office romances, others may have stricter policies. Make sure both parties in the relationship are aware of potential rules or consequences.
Beware of social media: Before you start posting pictures and status updates about your newfound coupledom, it may be better to inform your co-workers or boss in person. That way, there is less chance for gossip or speculation.
Always take the high road: If your relationship should end, do your best to maintain professionalism and not let the issues affect your performance on the job.

The survey also showed the repercussions of workplace romance, with 5 percent of workers saying they have left a job due to an office romance.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 5,231 employees (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between November 5 and November 23, 2009 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset of U.S. employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 5,231 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.35 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset – their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 32 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.