Although we usually try to keep our private lives separate from work, love doesn’t choose where to strike. Nobody is guaranteed against falling for one of their coworkers or even their boss. What should you do if something like this happens to you? Is it reasonable to give it a shot? Or is it better to suppress your feelings and shift your affection to a more suitable object? Let’s look at pros and cons of office romance.

If you are employed at the same company, that probably means you share each other’s interests and work on common projects. Collaborating on something outside your relationship makes you stronger as a couple. This is especially true for high-rank executives that have a great sway over the company’s future. Founder dating undoubtedly opens up new business management opportunities and allows a mighty duo to come up with more efficient business strategies. 

“Office lovers” stay in touch during their work hours and usually get to check out together. That makes it so much easier to plan out the rest of the evening. And if one of you has to work late, you can easily substitute a night out by spending a romantic dinner break at a nice local café. The same refers to weekend and vacation planning that gets a lot clearer when you know each other’s schedule.

Could be good or bad depending on how much you value your private space. Jealous people with strong possessive instincts will probably view office romance as a great opportunity to keep an eye on their second half, monitoring all their moves and contacts. However, if you are sensitive about your personal freedom, this constant surveillance can make you paranoid. This issue is especially serious for couples that work in the same room and thus see and hear everything their beloved is doing during the workday.

If you relationship is in the public eye, get ready for gossip and side glances. People love discussing couples and nosing into their affairs, and some people love it more than others, so don’t be surprised to find your coworkers whisper behind your back. Even if you don’t care a dime about them snooping around, be careful not to believe everything you hear, since gossip tends to accumulate while passing from one willing ear to another. Before accusing your girlfriend of cheating based on corporate rumors, double-check this information or ask her directly. In 99.9% of cases, any bad news you learn from your colleagues will turn out to originate in somebody’s exuberant imagination.

Office love can be a real trial if you belong to different levels of the corporate hierarchy. Next to your successful and well-off boss, you will probably feel inferior and downcast, especially if you are a man. In this respect, a classic situation like company founder dating can severely damage your self-esteem. If you have an affair with one of the top female execs, try not to turn your relationship into an endless competition. The mere fact that your beloved has a higher status and a bigger salary doesn’t mean you’re not worth her. Stop proving your right to be beside her and learn to draw a line between your personal and corporate relations. Visa versa, if you date your secretary or a reception girl, try to make her feel special, desired and loved regardless of your rank gap.

Despite all the hurdles and downsides, office relationship can still work out as long as you both want to keep it up. There are numerous examples of successful corporate marriages and your story may become somebody’s inspiration as well. After all, the way you feel about each other is much more important than who occupies a larger office.