Half of Britons have had an office fling

More than half of British workers have had an office romance, new research has suggested.

Six in ten Britons admitted to having a relationship with a colleague, of which over a third (35 per cent) were reported to have ended badly.

The research from employment law experts Slater and Gordon showed that of the 2,000 subjects questioned, 70 per cent said that their relationship had had a negative impact on their career, and 17 per cent said it had cost them their job.

Harriet Bowtell, employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said: “It is not surprising that relationships in the workplace are common. However, it is notable that such a large proportion of people said that the relationship had a negative impact on their career. This is especially so for the more junior employee.”