The Complexities Of An Office Romance

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Is it or isn't it legal to date your co-worker?

A detailed study of 2000 adults in Great Britain found that the most likely couples to get married were those who met at the office.

The study, reported under headlines like "Looking for love? Try the office!" makes self-respecting lawyers say "AAAHHH! Terrible idea!"

Is that because it's illegal to date your coworkers? Actually, no. There is no law that prevents consensual romantic relationships between coworkers. It's just a recipe for how to sink your career.

The study itself found that fourteen percent of couples who met through work ended up married. That means that 86% of couples who met through work ended up mortified to see each other. And while a consensual relationship between coworkers isn't illegal, it can become the subject of a lawsuit where one begins retaliating against the other or where the relationship is between a supervisor and a supervisee.

Beyond lawsuits, many companies have policies that forbid romantic relationships so you could get fired for the dalliance.

If you care about your job, do what any self-respecting professional would do, save the romance for the loud boozy bar.