A third of Brits have had a relationship with a colleague at some point in their career – equating to some 8.85 million “cubicle courtships”.
With UK employees clocking in more hours at the office than ever before, the workplace has become a common environment for love to blossom, with 17 per cent of workplace couplings resulting in marriages or civil partnerships.
However, cubicle courtships ended in tears for one in seven workers who have had to leave their jobs largely because of a failed romance with a colleague.
The study of 1,050 UK managers and employees by employee engagement firm Perkbox found men appear to be more accepting of workplace relationships than women, with 67 per cent believing that they are not a problem as long as these do not interfere with work.
Overall, managers are also quite accepting of office romances with 62 per cent having no problems with such unions provided that this did not impact on an employee’s job.
Chieu Cao, Co-founder at Perkbox, said: “Today’s office is a theatre in which many of our everyday human dramas unfold – love, hate, friendships and conflict are all inevitably played out in the realms of our 9-5 job.
“Having the emotional intelligence to navigate these challenges productively is absolutely vital in ensuring employees effectively self-regulate their emotions in the workplace and understand the impact it might have on other colleagues.
“It also ensures that managers remain professional and empathetic in dealing with their employees’ emotional wellbeing.”