While there may be someone on the job you are interested in pursuing a personal relationship with, don’t allow the attraction to create a downfall in your career.

Sonya Madison

Sonya Madison is Workplace Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia and a legal analyst for various online mediums. She has conducted numerous seminars on labor and employment issues and advises employers on employment policies and labor law.

Here is Sonya’s point of view on workplace romance policies:

1. Know the policy: Find out what policy, if any, your company has regarding office romances. To protect against lawsuits, some organizations use “love contracts” – documents that HR professionals ask both parties and the company representative to sign at the beginning of the relationship to make it clear that the affair is consensual.

2. Take it slow: Group lunches and after-work outings are the best way to make sure a potential partner is worth the risks that come with dating a co-worker.

3. Don’t assume the company email system is your friend: You cannot write love notes on company computers with any expectation of privacy. The content belongs to the company and not to you.

4. No Public Displays of Affection!

5. If things get serious, strategize your options: Should you disclose to the company? Which of you should look for another job? Get some good advice regarding next steps from professionals who are not working for your employer.