Office RomanceWith Valentine’s Day approaching, now is a good time to consider whether a workmate has a crush on you and wants you to be their Valentine. Here are the signs that someone wants to be your Valentine this year:

  • The workplace associate finds as many chances to talk to you. S/He says hello and goodbye to you without failure. The Valentine makes it a priority to stop by your office or desk.
  • The Valentine goes out of his/her way to buy or get you coffee.  If s/he gets you Starbucks and cakepop, they are smitten.
  • Your fellow employee tries to sit next to you in meetings.  If s/he tries to make a lot of eye contact or text you during the meeting they are infatuated with you.
  • If the office Valentine keeps staring at you and compliments your dress/suit and/or hair, this is flirting and the officemate is crazy about you.
  • The Valentine starts asking questions about your family, friends hobbies and church. S/he is very enamoured with you!
  • Lastly, if the workmate tries to impress you by outlining their great qualities and you see a marked improvement in their dress, cologne and smile, your fellow employee wants to be your Valentine permanently. Mark my words, they are passionate about you!

So what happens if you two hook up? The HR Thing!

Some employers’ policies require employees to supply information about romantic relationships in the workplace. For instance, a policy or agreement might require employees to agree to do any or all of the following:

  • Acknowledge when a relationship begins
  • Acknowledge the company’s sexual harassment policy is understood and agree to abide by it
  • Enter into a love contract at work where you:
    • Promise to act professionally at all times while at work (both while in a relationship and after it ends)
    • And/or promise to notify the human resources department if/when the relationship ends. This puts an employer on notice to watch for any incidents of sexual harassment and also identifies the time in which a relationship was consensual.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Re: Segal, J. 2015. Lust and Love in the Workplace,