How Do You Handle an Office Romance?

Dating someone you work with is generally frowned upon, which is why it never, ever happens. But in the rare instances when it does, sometimes—and this might surprise you—it doesn't always turn out so well. Or so these anecdotes from HR experts and other corporate executives would suggest.

Kelly Sullivan
Managing director, Bedford HR Executive Search & Consulting, New York

“I was at a company with about 1,000 employees, and the president invited the top 60 people to a conference. There was a lot of alcohol. A senior-level employee hooked up with one of her male employees. Everyone knew. I pulled her aside and asked her to be discreet. For 10 months they stayed professional. But then her employee cheated. One night she contacted our maintenance department. She said the employee had been fired—he hadn’t—and changed the locks to his office. Things calmed down, but she then piled on an unfair amount of work, and we had to fire her.”

Larry Kaplan
Founder, Larry Kaplan Consulting, Los Angeles