Attitudes toward workplace romance are changing -- at least for Millennial employees. A whopping 84 percent of workers ages 18-29 say they would have a romantic relationship with a co-worker, compared to just 36 percent of Generation X workers (ages 30-46) and 29 percent of Boomers (age 47-66), according to a recent Workplace Options survey. And 40 percent of Millennials say they would have no problem dating their supervisors (compared to just 10 percent of older generations).
Far from being worried about sexual harassment charges, or just the general awkwardness of dating a boss or co-worker, 71 percent of Millennial workers believe there are positive aspects to a workplace romance, such as boosting performance and morale. And they’re not shy about it, either: 57 percent talk about their office romances with their colleagues.
Why it matters to your business: More than one-third of employees aren’t sure if there’s a company policy about dating at the office. If your business doesn't have such a policy, it’s time to consider it. Nearly half the employees surveyed say office romances are going on at work, and even if they don’t care, you need to be concerned about sexual harassment charges and complaints about perceived (or real) employee favoritism.