The big dos and don'ts of an office fling

If you spend a lot of time at the office, work for a large organisation or like to socialise with your colleagues after hours, it's understandable that you might get romantically involved with someone you work with.

But while lots of people meet their significant others at work, dating someone from work comes with a few warnings. Considering getting into a relationship with someone from the office? Here are a few things to think about first.

Do set boundaries.

Early on in your relationship, it's a good idea to establish some boundaries that will keep things professional at work while helping you enjoy your relationship after hours. For example, unless it's unavoidable you might agree not to see each other within in the four walls of the office or discuss work stuff over dinner.

Do be discreet.

Save PDA for after work, and definitely resist the urge to pop into the bathrooms for sneaky, erm, liaisons (because that's just gross). It's important to keep things professional at work, especially if you're in a position of management or influence.

Do check if your company has a policy around romantic relationships.

While it might be a good idea to keep your relationship secret from your colleagues until you know where it's going, you also might like to give your HR manager a heads-up just in case the company has an issue with it.

Don't date your boss or people you manage.

You can't always help who you fall for but it's a good idea to resist getting involved with someone you report to or who reports to you. Even if the relationship is perfectly innocent, it could be perceived that you're taking advantage of someone or being taken advantage of. If it can't be helped and you start a serious relationship with someone in your chain of command (up or down), consider moving teams or even leaving your job altogether to keep things professional.

Don't bring your private problems to the office.

Even if your partner forgot your anniversary and you've had it up to HERE because he also keeps forgetting to take the rubbish out, always leave your personal problems at home. Work is for work, not for dealing with the emotional ups and downs of your love life.

Don't let it impact your work.

Especially in those early, love-drunk days of a new relationship, it's natural to want to text, message, talk to and see your dearly beloved as much as possible. When you're at work, though, this can get in the way of what you're being paid to do. And as with any relationship, there's always a risk that it won't work out. You don't want to pre-empt the failure of a relationship, but it might be a good idea to have a plan in the back of your mind should things turn a little pear-shaped.