Explanations for how workplace romances develop are based on social psychological theories of repeated exposure, interpersonal attraction, love, emotion, attitudes, social exchange, group dynamics, and impression management.
research on workplace romance has shown in the same proximity as someone for a long time can help spur a preference for that person; the more often we see someone physically close, and the more interactions we have with them, the faster interpersonal attraction builds.
Renee Cowan and Sean Horan found four basic reasons why romantic workplace relationships occur: ease of opportunity, similarity, time, and the hookup. First, relationships develop because we are around people a lot, and we are naturally drawn to some people around us.
Dating and relationship expert Gabriel Brenner told Insider working towards a common goal is also a bonding experience that can bring people together, "since you're communicating, cooperating, and sharing workload." "In a sense, this time spent together can function as informal dating," he said.
43% have married someone they met at work
Our survey found that 43% of those who date a colleague end up marrying them. In other words, you're over two times more likely to marry a coworker than someone from a dating site or app.
A whopping 18% of employees reported having a random hookup with a coworker. According to Vault.com, 18% of employees reported that they had a random hookup with a coworker. Consent is the obvious issue with random hookups. If one party feels coerced, then it's no longer a consensual hookup, it's sexual assault.
IRL, too, crushing on a coworker is common: One recent survey found that half of workers in the United States have dated a colleague — mostly peers (70%) but also their supervisors (18%) and subordinates (21%).
Female sexuality is driven by relationship cues and factors compared to their male counterparts. Women tend to fantasize sexually about known individuals, such as past boyfriends, co-workers, friends with whom they have had some form of relationship. This explains your fantasy for your co-worker.
Office romances can stifle productivity, lead to sexual harassment charges, and destroy the work- place environment.
Workplace Crushes are Normal
A psychological study aptly titled, Workplace Romances: 'Going to Work Is Amazing and Really Fun found that participants involved in a workplace romance “expressed their pleasure in going to work” and were also motivated to work harder.
When romance is in the air at work, an employer may be faced with gossip, lovers' quarrels, and distracted employees. Even worse, this may lead to sexual harassment, retaliation, favoritism, and workplace violence.
We spend a lot of time with our colleagues. In fact, we probably spend more time with the people we work with than almost anyone else. Since you're likely also surrounded by people you have things in common with, it's not all that surprising that people fall in love at work.
Focus on positive distractions. Crushes often hold our attention because we let it happen. If you turn your mind to other things, however, it will be easier to get over the crush and move on. At work, focus your mind on your tasks, and having professional interactions with your coworkers.
33 percent of U.S. workers are currently in, or have been in, a romantic relationship with a co-worker. 50 percent have had office crushes. 75 percent are perfectly OK with office romances among their co-workers. 84 percent respect, or would respect, colleagues involved in a workplace romance.
As per their study, light-hearted flirtation and banter among colleagues is benign and can, in fact, help relieve stress in workers. But one needs to be careful. There's a fine line between casual flirting and sexual harassment. You certainly don't want to come across as creepy.
Turns out, 78% of Americans have at least considered dating someone they worked with. And 58% eventually did. People from older generations are more likely to have dated a co-worker at some point in their lives—64% of Gen X and Baby Boomers combined have dated a colleague, compared to 53% of Gen Z and Millennials.
Many men are visual beings, and if they find a co-worker attractive, it is normal for them to fantasize. Sometimes it is natural for us to wonder what a particular experience with someone new would be like. Work can get mundane, so the fantasy of a workplace romance or a little flirting could keep things exciting.
It's also extraordinarily common. Between 40 and 52 per cent of people have had a sexual relationship with a colleague. But just because these relationships are common, it doesn't mean it's easy to balance professionalism and romance.
Accept It. If you haven't already, the first thing you need to do is accept that you have a work crush. But don't start a new job search just yet. According to psychologists, crushes last on average about four months before they start to fade away — or grow stronger.