My Office Romance Turned Into a Marriage

By Jacquelyn Smith

I once dated a coworker.

Quick backstory: We didn't meet on the job — we were dating for almost four years before we started working together (which, by the way, wasn't planned ... long story). But for about 11 months, we sat three cubes apart from one another and kept our relationship under wraps.

That's right: Nobody knew we were a couple.

"Nobody knew?!" "Wasn't it hard to hide?" "Isn't that illegal?"

Those are questions I'm frequently asked when I tell people the story of my office romance.

My answer to all three: "Nope — because we followed the rules."

The truth is, office romances are tricky and generally not recommended. But they happen all the time, and when they do, there are three possible outcomes: The relationship turns sour and your reputation and career take a beating; it ends, but you're both mature and cordial and don't let the breakup affect your work; or things work out.

A survey by CareerBuilder last year revealed that nearly 40% of employees admitted to having a romantic relationship with a coworker, and almost one-third of office relationships result in marriage. (Remember that coworker I dated? We are getting married in two months.)

It's up to you to figure out whether pursuing an office relationship is worth the possible consequences, good and bad. If you decide it is, there are a few "rules" you'll want to follow to ensure things don't go awry: