The Naked Truth | How to make an office romance work: tips on risks and challenges
- For many overworked people, the office may be the only place they can find love. But office romances have the potential to ruin careers
- Beware romances where one person has professional authority over another
Office romances are often complicated, challenging and sometimes taboo, especially when there is an unequal power dynamic that may even negatively affect the career of one of the couple.
Some fear an office romance could be a career killer if things go pear-shaped; others consider them unconducive to productivity because of the distraction, either in the passionate early stages or if things do not pan out as intended. But the romantics would have you believe that love in the office has its upsides, such as allowing overworked or stressed employees to seek solace in these affairs.
Valentina Tudose, a relationship expert at dating agency Happy Ever After, believes that people in work-obsessed Hong Kong have little chance of meeting a potential partner who is not a colleague, especially for those not keen on dating apps. For them, finding love at work may be the only viable option.
“Having long working hours increases the likelihood that people will engage in office romances as proximity and familiarity are two of the most common reasons people fall in love,” Tudose says.
A 2016 census report by the Hong Kong government paints a bleak picture of work life in the city. Out of 3.43 million employees (excluding foreign domestic workers) in the city, 11 per cent worked at least 60 hours a week. Even worse, around 32,000 were putting in 75 hours or more a week.
