The majority of employees prefer to keep their work and love lives separate, new research shows.
A study by the online job site Monster.com revealed that regardless of whether they think it would hurt their career, 54% of the employees surveyed across seven countries would never date a co-worker. Specifically, 39% believe that office romances can damage an employee's career -- causing them to steer clear of striking up a relationship with a colleague -- while 15% wouldn't embark on a workplace romance despite thinking there would be no lasting job-related consequences.
U.S. employees are more concerned than their international counterparts about the possibility that an office romance could hurt their career. The research discovered that while 52 % of American workers wouldn't date a co-worker because of potential damage to their job status, just 24% of Europeans felt the same.
Mary Ellen Slayter, a career advice expert for Monster, said the implications of dating a co-worker are best examined on a case-by-case basis.
"Thoroughly understanding a company's policies and culture is imperative," Slayter said. "If you're interested in pursuing a colleague, treading carefully is always the smart approach."
Slayter said a key factor to consider is whether one of the people in the potential relationship holds a higher-level position than the other.
"Dating between employees at the same company -- when either one works for the other or is in a more senior position -- can be very controversial, and many companies prohibit it," she said.