Around 15% of Brits think it’s unprofessional to engage in a workplace romance, says research

Cuffing season can make it a little more tempting to have a festive fling with a co-worker.

Not to mention, there’s the office Christmas party, where you’re all looking your best and any usual awkwardness vanishes with a margarita or two. It can get a bit flirty.

But if you’ve engaged in a harmless flirt with the handsome accounts manager or the gorgeous data analyst then you aren’t alone, as new research shows more than a quarter of Brits have admitted to flirting with a colleague.

Taking it one step further, 28% of Brits admit to having a relationship with their workplace crush – with 24% marrying a co-worker.

However, when it comes to volunteering information about their colleagues’ workplace flings, Brits were more forthcoming.

About 38% of Brits said they know someone who has had an affair with a co-worker, while 36% of Brits know someone who has tied the knot with their colleague.

So how do Brits really feel about workplace romances?

General attitudes towards office relationships were favourable, with 36% expressing that they think it’s acceptable to have a relationship with a colleague and be open about it.

But maybe check with HR about your workplace dating policy first – just to make sure it doesn’t get you into trouble.

If you are contemplating a workplace romance then here’s how to go about it.

However, 15% of Brits said they think it is unprofessional to engage in an office romance.

But perhaps the main question is: do office romances actually work?

Almost one in ten said they felt that workplace relationships never last.

However, despite the survey revealing that 19% of people said their office romance only lasted less than a month, there was a fair share of success stories.

In fact, 24% of relationships cultivated from the office lasting more than three years, with 12% lasting a decade or more.

When it comes to the employees most likely to engage in a workplace romance, workers in Belfast were the most likely to with Birmingham coming in second.

But those from Belfast are also more likely to marry a colleague with London following in second place.

The survey research was conducted by Mecca Bingo.

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