Working Hard

Dear Mistress Maeve,

My buddy, and fellow cubicle rat, is head over heels for a girl who works in our office. I keep trying to tell him that dating someone at work is a bad idea, but he's not listening.

In my opinion, dating coworkers is a recipe for disaster. If things go downhill, it could mean bad things for him and his coworkers (like me).

Mistress, can you help me knock some sense into him?

Thanks,
Company Man

--------------------------------------

Dear Company Man,

According to conventional wisdom, dating a coworker is bad news — and for good reason. Ask any human resources representative, and you're likely to get an earful about how intra-office dating is unprofessional and bad for overall morale — not to mention creating the potential for a whopping sexual harassment suit.

However, as hazardous as office mingling may be, sometimes we need to move away from conventional wisdom and live in the real world. According to DiscoveryHealth.com, 40 percent of us find our partners at work. So perhaps your buddy is on to something?

It is possible for your buddy to date at work and not destroy the office universe; he just has to be smart. If you want to give your friend some helpful advice, tell him to set boundaries — he'll need to keep his paws off her during the day and not let office issues infiltrate the bedroom at night. Also, be sure he's not trying to romance the boss — dating up the office food chain opens a whole other can of worms. Above all else, be professional. If coworkers know these two are dating, they'll be keeping a watchful eye out to make sure the relationship isn’t causing anyone to play favorites or get an undeserved leg up.

While I may condone smart dating in the workplace, that doesn't mean your company handbook agrees. Be sure your buddy knows the rules, or he could turn into a cubicle rat without a cubicle.

Working hard,
MM