Profits are not the only things that tend to increase as the business sector continues to expand. The potential for office romances to develop between working singles is also relatively high. Although they have always been rather popular, office romances are quickly becoming much more of a trend in the modern dating scene.

In today’s fast-paced, high-demand world, it is not too surprising that so many working singles are hoping to find more than a paycheck at their workplace. There are many factors that contribute to the office romance trend, the most significant of which is probably added financial pressures that lead many people to put in more hours just to make ends meet. Since a lot of people are putting in more hours at work, there is very little time left over for socializing outside of the office. As naturally social beings, it makes sense that people with limited social time will compensate for that by socializing with co-workers even more than they would under different circumstances.

Another significant factor is the fact that people who work together in office jobs are likely to spend a great deal of time in pretty close quarters, which can sometimes cause intimate feelings to develop. Regardless of how they start, however, office romances are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to dating trends.

Anyone who works in an office will probably have a fair share of office romance disaster and success stories. Dating is never entirely free of complications but because your job may literally depend on it, office romances should be handled with a little more care than usual. If you are dating or would like to start dating someone you work with, take a few minutes to consider the following list of pros and cons:

PROS –

1. You get to know your co-workers on a level that official dates outside of work with a stranger might never achieve.

2. No need to frequent bars or nightclubs to meet that special someone.

3. You will have at least one thing in common with your partner.

4. You get to work and play together.

5. You keep similar, if not identical, schedules.

CONS –

1. If the relationship doesn’t work out, things are likely to become awkward or tense.

2. The relationship could cause a distraction and negatively impact productivity.

3. Office romances may be against company policy and could be perceived negatively by other colleagues and/or management.

4. Spending too much time together could create unnecessary strain on a new relationship.

5. Office romances between superiors and their subordinates could lead to accusations of unethical behavior.

If you do ultimately decide to become involved with a co-worker, be sure to keep things professional. As tempting as it may be to mix business with pleasure, approaching office romance in a professional manner will improve your chances of success and minimize the potential for tension even if the relationship does not succeed.