ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > March > 25 > Entry
Is Cupid killing your career?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Love is a subject that generates lots of heated feelings, especially when it is intertwined with the complexities of careers.
However, because personal relationships have such a huge impact on career choices it is nearly impossible to separate the two topics. For instance, it is well known that become a trailing spouse can be a career killer.
Frequently the question of ‘job commitment’ is a good mask for employers to determine if a spousal relocation may prevent a long-term employment situation, and can certainly shoot an arrow in a prospective job offer.
I know at least one couple in an international company that is engaged to be married, yet no one in the company knows they are dating because neither of them is prepared to give up their six-figure jobs and their company’s attitude toward corporate romance has proven to be intolerant.
Of course if you are married, engaged to, or evening dating a person you report to, the conflict of interest is rather obvious. On the other hand with people devoting 50-60 hours a week to their professional life, how are they supposed to meet people socially if they aren’t allowed to ‘fraternize’ with one another? The Los Angeles Times, recently quotes a survey that indicated 43 percent of U.S. workers have had an office romance.
Shockingly, the article said that some companies are even requesting that employees sign a “love contract.” The idea behind the “love contract” appears to be a proactive legal strategy to prevent future sexual harassment cases since it asks the parties to sign off on the ‘consensual’ and ‘voluntary’ nature of the ‘affection.’
I am amazed that our employment environment has become so litigious that shortly after you feel your heart flutter because of the good looking guy in the neighboring cube asked you on a date, your next question should be to ask yourself whether you like him enough to sign a love contract.
Love and work have never been easy to balance, but one thing is for sure. Now you need to be a strategic thinker about how much you will allow your love life to influence you career choices.
Although it isn’t romantic to invite cupid into your career dilemmas, if statistics are accurate almost one of two you reading this will have to decide whether falling in love with your colleague is worth the career risks, for better or worse.
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