Longer work weeks spur office dating

Nowadays, many companies have strict policies on dating. And, for good reason. With the proliferation of sexual harassment and sexual discrimination suits, it’s no wonder that companies are tired of picking up the tab for their employees’ office romances.

But, with Americans working longer hours, which results in significantly less time to meet people with whom to share commonalities, dating in the workplace has become prevalent.

According to Paul A. Falzone, CEO of The Right One, Together Dating and Elove.com and the author of a book on the history of dating, “Workplace daters need to use common sense. Best rule of thumb is to never date a superior or a subordinate. The potential for sexual harassment related issues and legal action is too great for companies to tolerate this type of workplace dating.”

The company is not the only one that will suffer. Realize that you risk your credibility, your job and your pride when you enter into an office romance. In light of this, Falzone shares tips for those who are looking for romance while “on the job”:

Keep your private life private. So you and a co-worker are dating. Even though you are wild about each other, you still do not want to risk your credibility with colleagues, superiors, subordinates or clients. Nor do you want to leave yourself open to manipulation, as the more that others, including subordinates, hear about your private affairs, the more ammunition they may have to discredit you. While we’re on the subject of dating co-workers…If you are dating a co-worker and actually help him to advance in his career, be sure you can prove him worthy of that recognition or promotion with sound business reasoning.

Avoid dating subordinates. Dating a subordinate is taboo on so many levels, but with sexual harassment and discrimination laws becoming broader, the fine line of what constitutes dating has become legally blurred. How do you really know that a subordinate wants to date you and doesn’t just feel pressured to go along with your advances because you hold power? Be aware that it may turn ugly and result in both of you losing your jobs if upper management finds out about your affair. What happens when you break up? You still have to work together. Your subordinate may even seek retribution after a break-up by claiming sexual harassment.

Don’t date the boss. Dating a superior inevitably lends to office gossip of how you may have obtained your promotion or other recognition. It also drastically reduces your career advancement options in-house because superiors from other departments may not take you seriously any longer. And, to make matters worse, if you break up, you’ll still have to take orders from your former lover.

Stay away from married co-workers. So, you are strongly attracted to a married co-worker who claims that he has spent so much time trying to get ahead at the office, that his relationship with his spouse has disintegrated. While you may sympathize, it doesn’t change the fact that he is still legally married. Don’t be deceived by co-workers who seem supportive of you having an affair, as they are really only itching for the next office soap opera. Having an affair with a married co-worker will always hurt your career. It will be used against you at some point by co-workers seeking to gain an advantage over you, be it a promotion, award, raise, or new client.

Public displays of affection are taboo at work. Hand holding, hugging, kissing, calling each other pet names and so forth should be reserved for outside the office. And, by the way, those sexy emails can and will be read by more eyes than you think. Management does have the power to read your emails. Even the IT department, whose job it is to filter employees’ email as well as monitor and track their Internet use, can read your romantic prose.

Be aware of workplace “serial daters”. Think twice about dating a co-worker with a track record for dating his way through each department. This person is obviously not looking for a long-term relationship, but merely out there just to have a good time. If that’s all you’re looking for, go ahead. But, be aware that these workplace daters have a tendency to share a lot of information about those they date, accurate or not. Even if it doesn’t hurt your career, you risk public humiliation.

Falzone continued, “Bear in mind that your relationship may become fodder for the office water cooler. There’s no guarantee that dating a colleague will evolve into a serious relationship or marriage. You must be able to accept the fact that it may not work out and the breakup may be very unpleasant, yet you will still have to politely interact with that person on a daily basis at work. There are office romances that can, and do, bloom into successful long term relationships or marriages. But, when dating and work intertwine and your career is on the line, play it safe.”

Help is on the way

Meeting that special someone can be daunting task even for the most suave and sophisticated. There is someone out there who would be a good match but finding your way through the clutter of the bar scene, internet dating and the blind date set up by your cousin’s friend’s sister is a difficult and demanding chore. Dating should be fun, not something to dread.

Catering to more than 300,000 members at over 60 locations throughout North America, The Right One, Together Dating and Elove.com are the largest online hybrid as well as bricks and mortar dating services in the industry, offering a more consistent product, a greater number of potentially compatible mates and added value of flexibility in transferring memberships to another geographic region.

Celebrating More Than 30 Years

The merger of national offices of The Right One with North American branches of Together resulted in a partnership that has created the largest personal introduction service in the United States.

Now celebrating their 32nd anniversary, The Right One, Together Dating and Elove.com have an ambitious plan to open between 12/24 new offices a year. The Right One and Together have more than 300,000 members – many of whom have their memberships on hold while they take the time to explore a successful relationship. With more than 500 employees, The Right One and Together gross more than $45 million a year in revenue.

Romantic Locations

The Right One’s offices and affiliates located throughout the United States include: California (San Diego); Colorado (Glendale); Florida (Miami); Georgia (Atlanta); Kansas (Wichita and Overland Park); Illinois (Downers Grove, Rockford and Bloomington); New Jersey (Cherry Hill, Hackensack); Massachusetts (Norwell, Newton, Shrewsbury and Woburn); Nebraska (Omaha and Lincoln); Pennsylvania (King of Prussia, Pittsburgh and Monroeville); Rhode Island (Warwick); Texas (Dallas, Austin); and Wisconsin (Madison, Appleton, Brookfield).

North American locations and affiliates of Together are: California (Encino, Irvine, Los Angeles, Upland); Florida (Palm Beach, Vero Beach); Georgia (Savannah); Indiana (Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, South Bend); Kentucky (Lexington, Louisville); Louisiana (New Orleans); Maryland (Columbia, Frederick); Minnesota (Minneapolis); Nevada (Reno); New Hampshire (Hooksett, Nashua, Portsmouth and Salem); New Jersey (Bridgewater, Clark, Colts Neck and Lawrenceville); Ohio (Cincinnati); Pennsylvania (Mechanicsburg); South Carolina (Greenville); South Dakota (Sioux Falls); Texas (San Antonio, Beaumont and Houston) and Virginia (Falls Church).

For more information about Together Dating and The Right One, please visit their websites at www.therightone.com, www.togetherdating.com, and www.elove.com or call
(800) 818-DATE (3283).