Separate

Romance is in the air at workplaces nationwide as one in three people have had a relationship with a colleague.

It may seem ideal being close to your partner every working minute but it can be tricky to get right. Here are Fish4jobs’ five tips on love in the workplace...

Treat your work and home relationship as separate things. At work leave your personal life at the door. You’ll lose all credibility and respect from your boss and colleagues if you bicker about who forgot to empty the dishwasher. Also, forget anything lovey-dovey and keep interactions professional.

Maintain your own identities at work. There’s no harm in occasionally spending lunch breaks together, but you must also socialise with colleagues and build relationships with them as an individual. If you’re constantly in each other’s pockets, co-workers will see you as a unit, rather than as skilled individuals.

If you live together, you’ll practically never be apart. Great for a while but you’ll soon long for a bit of time alone. Keep up with your own interests and friends to ensure you have time away from your partner. Also, consider commuting separately now and then.

Try and avoid being part of the same in-work team to reduce the contact time you have in the day. This could help avoid any potential conflict of interest issues.

Those who run a business or work at a small organisation must have clearly defined roles that play to each other’s strengths to benefit work and your relationship.