According to Forbes Magazine, 40 percent of all people have dated someone from work. As many as 17 percent have done it more than just once. Thus, saying that workplace romances have become quite common is certainly not a far-reaching statement. It is simply a byproduct of a more tolerable society that no longer frowns upon professional associates engaging in romantic relationships.

And while the rules have certainly gotten much looser, couples who work together still need to meet some minimum requirements. Doing so ensures that the romance will not become detrimental to the workplace at any point in time. So, what is the best way to go about office dating?

Remain Transparent

According to an experienced and certified health and safety consultant from Canada, Robert Butchike, the most important part of workplace dating is transparency. Once the relationships reach a level where friends and family know, it is time for the employer to find out as well. This is especially true when there is a ranking discrepancy.

Just consider, for instance, a situation where someone dates their subordinate for a prolonged time without disclosing it to anyone. If such a predicament comes to light, the person could be held liable for taking advantage of their authority and trying to mislead the company. The worst-case outcome can go as far as the person losing their job and getting financially or legally penalized. So, simply taking the time to speak with the department leader will be enough to ensure how there is an appropriate level of transparency.

Sign the “Love” Agreement

Besides moral reasons, transparency will allow the employer to get both of the involved parties to sign the so-called “love” agreements. Although they are labeled differently across all industries, these contracts guarantee that:

• The employer will not be sued by the workers in case the romance ends;
  
• The workers will notify the employer if the romance ends;
  
• The parties promise not to work together on projects when there is a ranking discrepancy;
  

There are going to be many other provisions that companies want the couple to agree to. These are just some of the most common ones that the vast majority of human resource departments require.

Staying Away From Each Other at Work

After finalizing the administrative side of things, it is time to think about the best way to approach the romance. Robert Butchike strongly suggests that everyone stays away from public displays of affection. Besides the fact that it can make others uncomfortable, it is extremely unprofessional. One of the best strategies is to save the romance for venues that are far outside of the workplace.

Besides the fact that it will ensure that the couple stays in compliance with the employee handbook, doing so will also help the relationship. Being around someone all the time can get quite monotonous and experts suggest that work hours should never get intertwined with dating.

Since each situation is going to be different, it is important to prepare for the stage of trial and error. Robert Butchike reminds that this is completely normal as all workplace romances struggle with professional and personal boundaries at first. Nonetheless, taking the time to figure things and remaining completely up-front with the superiors will improve the odds of success