A surprising 54% of workers have had a "romantic encounter" with someone in the office, according to our latest survey of 1,500 Business Insider readers.
"It's kind of the natural evolution of the bond you've already made in the workplace," says Stephanie Losee, co-author of Office Mate: Your Employee Handbook for Romance on the Job.
Since you have a 50/50 chance of this happening to you, it's important to be prepared.
Here are some tips from Losee and a few other sources on how to manage hooking up with or dating someone in the office.
Make sure you have more than work in common
Often, people confuse solidarity against a mean boss with something more. It's a lot like what happens to battle-scarred comrades in wartime, says Losee.
Don't just talk about work together, and make sure you get out with people other than your colleagues. Shop talk can be a good way to build rapport, but it's definitely not enough to last you long-term.
If you go for it, calculate your risk, and move slowly
Don't get too intense too quickly. Get to know the person you're interested in.
In an article, "I Bedded My Boss: Stories Of Sex In The Workplace," in the Examiner, one woman talked about giving into a coworker's advances after rebuffing a few times. She went out with him a couple times, and eventually slept with him.
How did it turn out? "Huge mistake. After that I just wanted to forget it," she told the Examiner.
Be honest with yourself -- otherwise, you could be on the road to destruction
While relationships can go south without much notice, you shouldn't see your career tank alongside it if you start off responsibly. Acknowledge that no relationship is guaranteed to last and discuss how you'll handle yourselves if this one ends. Know your game plan, reports Here Is The City.
"If (probably when) your relationship fails your personal stress test, have an exit strategy already in place -- an internal move, jumping ship to a rival, etc. In extreme cases, a tour of duty abroad might hold an appeal," says Here Is The City's Dr. Love.
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