Workplace Relationships: Taking Stock of the Corporate Culture

For example, if a superior is dating a subordinate, there might be unkind gossip about favoritism, discrimination, and prejudice. The gossip grapevine can be unforgiving and harsh, so be prepared to deal with it.

Your hands may touch the other's when papers are exchanged. You may lean a little too closely while discussing a project. Do these gestures suggest deeper interest? With an office romance, you have to be very sure that the interest is mutual. As embarrassing as it may get potentially, you just have to talk it out with each other.

You may be in the seventh heaven and may want to share your joy with your buddies at work. Don't. Keep details of your love life private. If someone probes, just change the subject.

This can help you maintain your professionalism. Also, you won't cross the fine line between your work and private life, so that you two can maintain your colleague status more easily. Believe it or not, it will actually help keep that romantic feeling going between the two of you.

Be conscious not to increase the amount of contact with your partner at work. Don't lunch together more often than you did, or leave together after work.

Don't let your work suffer under the weight of long lunches, tea breaks, and conversations. You don't want to incur more hostility from your colleagues about your relationship with your partner. On the other hand, you may find new enthusiasm for your work.

Because you may want to keep your relationship under wraps for a while, you must be prepared for your colleagues who may unknowingly flirt with your new partner. Don't lose your cool, and trust your partner completely.

Check your company's policy on dating a co-worker. If your boss is unhappy, you may want to ask for a change of workstations to minimize contact with each other on an official basis.

This is always hard to do because you still have to face each other everyday, work together on projects or worse, go on business trips together.

While you may not lose your job over your break-up, you may find it hard to keep going. But if you have played it cool at work, and no one heard about your relationship, you should do well.