Nearly 50% of workers have admitted to sharing a little office romance with a colleague at some point, it has been revealed. Thanks to research performed by new podcast Real Fix, we know just how common workplace flings are – and just how many of those connections end up lasting pretty long-term. To be honest, it’s kinda surprising!
- More than 20% of people have had three or more flings. That seems nuts, right? I can see having undeniable feelings for someone you work with once, but by the time you start racking up romances with your fellow employees, it almost becomes a fetish!
- The average office romance lasts just under a year. According to Real Fix’s research, most office affairs last about 10 months before ultimately fizzling out, falling apart, or simply coming to a natural end. That’s slightly more than I would have assumed – I would’ve thought more along the lines of three or four months!
- A quarter of people tried to keep it on the DL. One in four people involved in office romances tried desperately to keep it all under wraps, but roughly 64% of these affairs were discovered by fellow colleagues at some point, so it didn’t work out all that well.
- People can still work together even when it’s over. While it’s definitely gotta be awkward to have to see someone you’ve boned but are no longer involved with for 40 hours a week, it can work. The researchers found that 16% of former office flames continue working together and it’s not that bad! I don’t want to know what happened to the other 84%…
- Even the researchers were surprised by the results. “We were surprised to see how many people confess to having had an office fling,” admitted Real Fix podcast host Hattie Bishop. “That being said, it’s nice to see many relationships that started in the office weren’t just short-lived affairs and became serious couplings. Embarking on a relationship with someone you work with can be fraught with peril – especially if it’s something you try and keep secret from your colleagues.”
