Cincinnati Bengals fans are sad, there may be war breaking out between Russia and the Ukraine, inflation is soaring and stocks and cryptos are falling, but there is some rosy news—love will find a way.
You may have thought everyone was still at home, alone and keeping away from folks to stay safe. It also seemed that most people were working remotely during the last two years. The reality looks very different. Somehow, people slipped off their masks and disregarded social distancing.
The Society for Human Resource Management reported that over the course of Covid-19, there was a blossoming of workplace romances. A new SHRM survey found 33% of respondents said that they’re “currently involved or have been involved in a workplace romance.” This is around 6% higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
About 50% of workers self-reported that “they’ve had a crush on a co-worker.” Back in the 1950s through the early 1990s, workplace romances were relatively commonplace. It backed off with the rise in-office sexual harrasment claims and the #metoo movement.
SHRM says that office “romances aren’t an anomaly.” Seventy-five percent of U.S. workers replied that they’re “comfortable with people at their workplace being involved in a workplace romance, and more than a quarter of U.S. workers (26%) are currently open to being involved in a workplace romance.”
Here are some of the other highlights:
- Of U.S. workers currently in a workplace romance or who have been in one before, more than a quarter (26%) either began a new workplace romance during the Covid-19 pandemic or have continued an existing workplace romance that began prior to the pandemic.
- Sixty-five percent of U.S. workers who are in or have been involved in a workplace romance dated their peers, while 12% dated their subordinates and 19% dated their superiors.
- Twenty-eight percent of U.S. workers have or had someone they consider their “work spouse,” and of these workers, 26% have felt romantic feelings toward this individual.
- The survey also found that 77% of U.S. workers say their employer doesn’t require them to disclose a workplace romance, and a majority of workers (77%) who have been in a workplace romance have not disclosed their relationship to their employer.
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM president and CEO, said about love in the office, “As the pandemic continues to keep many of us apart, it’s no surprise that workers are looking for connection among their colleagues—remotely or otherwise.” He added, “But if workers are finding romance in the workplace, it’s key that employers have a workplace romance policy in place to prevent harmful situations should relationships go awry.”
Taylor advised, “It is the responsibility of HR professionals to protect employees in these situations, be it from favoritism, retaliation or sexual harassment. It’s important to encourage transparency and professionalism, while providing information on acceptable and unacceptable conduct, including instructions on when relationships need to be reported and to whom.”
At first blush, you wonder how people connected. After being isolated for so long, it’s reasonable to seek out company, and possibly a romantic partner. Many people questioned why there was a need to make people come into the office on a hybrid basis. Since working from home was highly effective, it didn’t seem reasonable to push employees to return to an office two or three arbitrary days a week. Now, we might have one of the reasons why some executives wanted workers back. With fewer people wandering around the building, it may have been easier to strike up a conversation, get to know a colleague, go out for a cup of coffee, and before you know it, they have a date for Valentine’s Day.
As long as it’s consensual, disclosed and there aren’t any power imbalances or improprieties, then we can be happy that there is some good news in the midst of all of the chaos around us.
Source: Forbes
