Romance at work – reality overtakes fantasy
A recent study by Global Workmonitor, conducted by Randstad, lifts the veil on romance at work in the world. 400 employees in each of 32 countries analysed were interviewed on their views on the subject. The results are biased towards tolerance. Overview.
The office: ideal place to meet
People spend most of their time at work and have the opportunity to develop relationships of friendship and possibly more. Does the company allow it? People meet together who have similar training, skills, values and centres of interest. 66% of Canadian employees say they have close friends at work and 55% support a romantic relationship developing from time to time in their company. Topping the list of where there are the most romantic sparks between the photocopier and the coffee machine are three Asian countries that are almost tied: China, India and Malaysia (about 70%). The most reticent to let their feelings show in the workplace are those in Japan (33%) and Luxembourg (36%).
Effect on performance?
Are these stories of romance between colleagues viewed favourably? In Canada, 66% of employees think that they should not be problematic. This figure rises to 72% worldwide. The most tolerant on the subject are Spain, Mexico and Hong Kong (around 81%).
Employers, meanwhile, fear romantic relationships between employees and believe that they have negative consequences. Indeed, they may affect not only the couple’s productivity but those of their colleagues. Preferential treatment can be observed between the two lovebirds and hurt the sensitivities of their professional colleagues, especially if one of them is the other’s superior! The worst case scenario is a romance that ends badly, causing havoc within the company.
Among Canadian employees, 37% believe that a romance with a colleague would hurt their performance. 40% worldwide lean in this direction. Even in India, where romantic relationships are more common than elsewhere, concern about productivity is among the highest (63%). In Luxembourg, the practice is not common but generates the same concern for 65% of employees.
Corrective measures to curb the passion
If a couple develops within the same department, 42% of Canadians think that one of them should be transferred to another department. 44% of employees worldwide feel this way. Dismissal of one of the partners is a measure deemed too severe for 21% of Canadians and 24% on a global scale. The lowest scores were observed in three European countries: Hungary, Sweden and the Netherlands, at 11%.
How can employees live the best with a romance at their workplace? Randstad Canada advises them to learn and respect the company’s internal policy, be professional and discreet, and maintain good work relations regardless of the couple’s personal situation.