Thirty-Eight Percent of Workers Have Dated a Co-Worker, Finds CareerBuilder Survey

Twenty Percent of Office Romances Involve Someone Who is Already Married

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Feb 13, 2014, 06:00 ET

CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Looking for a Valentine? The office may be a good place to start. CareerBuilder's annual survey on office romance found nearly two in five (38 percent) U.S. workers have dated someone who worked for the same company, and 16 percent said they have done so more than once.

The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from November 6 to December 2, 2013, and included a representative sample of 3,008 full-time, private sector workers across industries and company sizes.

Love and Marriage
That budding office romance may even lead all the way to the altar, or possibly divorce court. Of those who dated someone from the office, nearly one-third (31 percent) ended up marrying their office sweetheart. Twenty percent of workers who dated someone at the office admitted that at least one person in the relationship was married at the time.

Dating Up
One quarter (24 percent) of workers who have dated a co-worker said their office sweetheart was higher up in the organization, including the boss. However, only 3 percent of workers who have had an office relationship said the relationship helped them progress in their career.

Most Romantic Industries
Some industries have more office romances than others, with Leisure and Hospitality topping the list (57 percent), followed by Utilities (51 percent), Information Technology (46 percent), and Transportation (42 percent) - all of which outpace the national average. Other industries where romances are blossoming include Financial Services (38 percent), Retail (35 percent), Manufacturing (35 percent), Healthcare (32 percent), and Business Services (26 percent).

We'll Always Have the Lunchroom
Office romances most often start with co-workers running into each other outside of work (12 percent) or at a happy hour (11 percent). Some other situations that led to romance include late nights at work (10 percent), having lunch together (10 percent), and love at first sight (9 percent).

Our Little Secret
While most workers were open about their dating situation, nearly two in five (39 percent) said they had to keep their relationship with a co-worker a secret. Twenty-six percent of respondents who have dated someone at work said they accidentally ran into co-workers while out socially with their office sweetheart. Of these workers, 43 percent pretended that they weren't dating their co-worker.

Tips for Navigating a Workplace Romance

Check the Company Handbook – Some companies have strict policies around office romances. Acquaint yourself with the rules before turning a professional relationship into a personal one.
Proceed with Caution – Some romances lead into marriage, but others can lead into disaster. Seven percent of workers who have dated a co-worker reported having to leave their jobs because of their office romance soured. Take the time to get to know someone first and carefully weigh risks and benefits.
Compartmentalize – Keep your work life separate from your home life. Avoid showing PDA in the office and don't involve co-workers in personal disagreements.
Think Before You Post – Be careful what you post on social media. You can end up outing your relationship before you're ready to discuss it.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 3,008 workers (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) ages 18 and over between November 6 and December 2, 2013 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 3,008, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.79 percentage points. 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 great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors and 1 million jobs. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing everything from labor market intelligence to talent management software and other recruitment solutions. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com

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SOURCE CareerBuilder