Right in the middle of the quarterly meeting, he is seen passing a note to her. She reads it and gives a broad smile. Colleagues prompt the couple when questions go unanswered. They eventually resign themselves to a budding office romance. Only a few years later, the boss can no longer pair them for the same project, as they have broken up. Colleagues have to walk a thin line, ensuring no sides are taken and discussions around the water cooler centre around ‘whose fault was it?’ Office romances are never easy to deal with, but some thumb rules might come in handy, says Devina Sengupta.
Remain Neutral
Office romances are short-lived, so for the colleagues, it’s best not to take sides. Swati Naik, a Bangalore-based creative designer, has seen many an office romance going bust. There have been co-workers who became the first casualty in the cross-fire. It leads to cartelisation and could result in team relationships going sour. “One spends 10 hours at work every day and to have uncomfortable silences, barbs being passed between teammates can be tiring,” says Naik. She also recounts instances where the couple were living-in and post calling it quits, had to move in with their colleagues. “It was harrowing for those who had agreed to lodge them and at the same time they were tired of being the shoulder both at work and at home.”
Step In if Need be
There are corporates who do not allow a couple to work in the same team, but rules against those who are in a relationship are largely unknown. For Arnob Roy, president engineering of Tejas, it is a sticky issue for the boss to intervene. “It is a personal matter but one has to step in when the couple in question are in a reporting structure.” When the office romance between the senior and his/her junior becomes public, co-workers and other seniors have a task at hand. For Roy, the team structure would then have to be changed so that at any point, professionalism is not questioned.
Keep Voyeurism at Bay
Just like the Hitchcock movie, ‘The Rear Window’, every one wants to know what is going on in the next cubicle. It is best if one holds those feelings because it becomes very awkward for the couple who are trying their best to keep it discreet. Monobina Dasgupta, a 23-year-old Delhi-based employee in the media industry had a difficult time when she was seeing her colleague. “You have to hide a lot of what you’re feeling and the questions asked make it tough for you.”
Don’t Complete their Tasks
Being supportive of a pair in love in office is one thing but becoming their errand boy/girl is another. There have been situations where colleagues have been asked to complete the task, help them out while the couple needed to spend time together. A couple of times is acceptable but not when it leads to the shirking of responsibilities.
Don’t Offer Advice
The last thing a colleague should do is advise the couple on how to take their relationship forward. A counsellor, if the need arises, should not be you because if they fall from cloud nine, you will be the first to be blamed.
Remain Neutral
Office romances are short-lived, so for the colleagues, it’s best not to take sides. Swati Naik, a Bangalore-based creative designer, has seen many an office romance going bust. There have been co-workers who became the first casualty in the cross-fire. It leads to cartelisation and could result in team relationships going sour. “One spends 10 hours at work every day and to have uncomfortable silences, barbs being passed between teammates can be tiring,” says Naik. She also recounts instances where the couple were living-in and post calling it quits, had to move in with their colleagues. “It was harrowing for those who had agreed to lodge them and at the same time they were tired of being the shoulder both at work and at home.”
Step In if Need be
There are corporates who do not allow a couple to work in the same team, but rules against those who are in a relationship are largely unknown. For Arnob Roy, president engineering of Tejas, it is a sticky issue for the boss to intervene. “It is a personal matter but one has to step in when the couple in question are in a reporting structure.” When the office romance between the senior and his/her junior becomes public, co-workers and other seniors have a task at hand. For Roy, the team structure would then have to be changed so that at any point, professionalism is not questioned.
Keep Voyeurism at Bay
Just like the Hitchcock movie, ‘The Rear Window’, every one wants to know what is going on in the next cubicle. It is best if one holds those feelings because it becomes very awkward for the couple who are trying their best to keep it discreet. Monobina Dasgupta, a 23-year-old Delhi-based employee in the media industry had a difficult time when she was seeing her colleague. “You have to hide a lot of what you’re feeling and the questions asked make it tough for you.”
Don’t Complete their Tasks
Being supportive of a pair in love in office is one thing but becoming their errand boy/girl is another. There have been situations where colleagues have been asked to complete the task, help them out while the couple needed to spend time together. A couple of times is acceptable but not when it leads to the shirking of responsibilities.
Don’t Offer Advice
The last thing a colleague should do is advise the couple on how to take their relationship forward. A counsellor, if the need arises, should not be you because if they fall from cloud nine, you will be the first to be blamed.
(19-04-2011, Mumbai, Economic Times)
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