Don'tdate a Co-worker（不要和在一起工作的人约会）

When it comes to (sth / doing sth)当涉及某事物/情况时，谈到 mixing romance with work, the standard advice is, "Don't do it." But in an era when so many men and women spend so much time working closely together on the job, casual encounters that develop into relationships are inevitable不可避免的，必然发生的.

The office provides many opportunities for a connection: regular contact, a safe setting (unlike a pub) and trusted colleagues who know the character of a potential partner.

Patrick Thiam met his wife at the advertising agency where they both worked very early in their careers. "I think it's the best place to find a partner," he says. "You spend at least 40 hours a week there with individuals of similar backgrounds and interests. And in my case, long hours and hard work did not leave much time for socializing交往，交际 outside of working hours."

While the office may be the number one place to meet mates these days, slow down before you decide to pursue a more intimate亲密的，密切的 connection with a colleague. The dangers of dating on the job are well documented.

If the romance sours酸的，变糟的，变坏的；(使)某物变酸，

(使)某事变糟, the results can range(from…to… / between…and…)

(在…和…之间)变动 from icy stares to destroyed careers and even firings. And then there's the embarrassment and gossip.

One woman had an affair with another colleague, who was married. When she became pregnant, he left his wife, packed his bags and moved in with his girlfriend. Later she dumped倾倒(垃圾)；抛弃(某人) him. Imagine having to face the humiliation羞辱，耻辱 and your ex-lover every day?

Susan Ng, human resources manager in a local engineering firm, says that it doesn't matter whether the relationship is true love or an affair. The key issue is how the romance affects others in the workplace. From Joozone.com.

Rohani Mahmud, a recruitment consultant with Drake Personnel, advises office lovers to pay attention to the corporate culture of the company. She remarks, "There is an unspoken rule In most companies about office relationships. When they sign their employment contract, employees are expected to abide by忠于，遵守 professional and personal ethics."

Unfortunately, some employees either have no personal ethics or don't understand professional ethics. Mahmud believes that companies should come up with想出，提出(答案，办法等) rules to manage office affairs. "There is no clause in the employment laws that provide for

供养，赡养；(法案等)为某事物提供法律依据 this, but offices should have their own internal control to prevent unpleasant scenes," she says.

But where to draw the line between friendship and dating? If you start dating someone in the office, whom can you tell? Should you try to keep it a secret? What if someone finds out? Would it be better if you were honest with your colleagues from the start? Then how to legislate立法，制定法律 these policies?

Genevieve Woo, head of corporate communications for a hospital, thinks that it is just a waste of time. "The company cannot legislate people's personal choices," she argues. "Personally, 1 think it violates their privacy私生活，隐私(权). Besides, I don't see how it is possible to police employees' private lives."

So what's the bottom line when it comes to a relationship with a fellow employee?

Being discreet (言行谨慎的) is important. You don't want your relationship to affect your work or others' perceptions of your performance.

Make sure that you understand the risks involved. It's imperative

必须的，紧急的 that you be realistic about the possible downsides (负面效应) of office romance. If you break up(关系)破裂，结束；

(身体)变得衰弱，(精神)颓丧，崩溃, for example, you may feel compelled强迫，迫使 to quit your job to avoid having to face Mr. Ex every day.

Lastly, don't date your boss or a subordinate. People will perceive感觉到，察觉到；了解，认为 favoritism (偏爱). If you are considering pursuing love with your boss or a subordinate, ask yourself: Is this relationship worth my job? Because that's what it will probably cost you.

Ultimately最后，根本上, don't forget that the company is paying you a salary to work—your job description does not include "search for a companion".

The trick is to be clear about your responsibilities to the people who sign your paycheck and your desire to spend time with someone you care about.

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