I made this multiple choice as some of the options are not mutually exclusive. Yes, my most recent romantic fiasco blew up in my face because I have no problem in principle with the idea, while she did. 
:smack:
Yes, I would date a coworker. My husband and I met when he did an internship in my department and started dating a month or two before he did a second internship. He moved on to other opportunities outside of the company after his second internship ended.
I voted ‘other’. The option that was closest was #2, but what would concern me is not that we be of the same rank, but that we not be at different levels in the same chain of command. No dating your boss or underling, for example. This leaves open the possibility of a lineworker dating a manager in another department, for example. I suspect that cultural differences might tend to dissuade cross-rank dating, but outside of the same chain of command, I’m sure it happens.
No way. I’ve always had my own “rule” about not dating co-workers and it’s served me well.
Depends how hot she is.
I have done several times as well as hook ups and it’s almost always been a disaster, but were I single I and employed I probably would again. It’s pretty inevitable particularly in larger companies.
Company policy? Do it in secret then. Nothing more alluring than suppressed desire.
I did it. Granted, it was just a dinky little grocery store. We weren’t much different in ranking; he had been there a couple years longer and worked in a different department.
It’s been the best relationship I’ve had so far.
I’m sure it’d be different if we worked the same hours or in the same department. There are couples hooking up all the time at my old workplace. Some have worked out spectacularly, some have failed miserably.
Each situation depends on so many factors, ranging from the characteristics of the two people, to their willingness to work it out, to their ability to ignoring the whispers and drama that always came along with two workers becoming a couple (the store thrived on gossip. News got around fast since the store was so small.)
I would never be able to give one single answer to blanket across the work environment, given that each work environment has so many factors and variables that should be taken into consideration. If it was a different company, I might have thought about it differently.
Supposing I were single and working my current job … big maybe. My office is ENORMOUS so if he, say, worked on the other side of the building, we’d probably never see each other, which could work out ok.
If he worked in my unit? Nooo, never, I don’t care how hot he was.
No, no, not currently, and not even attempted in the last 25 years.* (I’m 42)
I am a nurse. Nurses dating nurses in their department are BAD IDEAS. I’ve seen it anywhere from “ha ha they think they are hiding things aren’t they cute.e” to “omfg! Enough already.” Nurses (female) dating care aides or practical nurses or anyone making less money are regarded with contempt, and anyone dating someone “above them” is seen as sleeping their way up the ladder. No one ever seems to think minding their own business is an option.
MAYBE if I worked in a really large hospital and met someone who worked in a completely different area, for instance say IT or facilities that would make a difference. Still, almost every single person of your preferred gender in the whole entire world works for a different employer, so it is more simple to just not date where you work. (or more prosaically don’t shit where you eat)
Currently I work in a management position in a very conservative, very small work place, everyone knows everyone’s business. There are very few males in the place, exactly two men who are not married in the whole building, and one is semi-retired (at least 20 yars older than I am) and the other is my employee. (And 15 years older than I am, and I am still not interested.) Of course I am in a relationship anyway, and a manager.
My boyfriend runs his own business and when he had a brick and mortar building and employees I was around a lot. We were a couple when the business started and almost weren’t by the time we closed the office. That is not the same thing as “dating a co worker” but it was enough for this life time.
*When I was 17 I had a crush on a boy I worked with. I ended up getting drunk and propositioning him at our end of summer party. The only reason I lived it down was I never had to see him again. That has kept me out of that kind of trouble ever since.
I could make the reasons not to date people I work with into a Logic puzzle. The kind with clues like “the man who is boinking his own boss is not too old for me” and “the youngest staff member and his wife are both looking for full time jobs.”
Clearly I need to either get a hobby or get some sleep. Maybe both. Unless someone really wants me to design this puzzle.
I said no, but I’ll qualify that by saying if they were in a different office or unrelated department I might consider it. I work for a company with many thousands of employees so for a vast majority of them, the usual problems wouldn’t arise.
I would never, ever intentionally date a coworker.
The only way I could see it happening is if it started as a slow friendship and grew into something more.
Otherwise, nooooo way!
Voted “Yes, No Conditions” because that’s how my wife and I met 41 years ago. (So far, so good.)
I’m not unwilling to date a coworker, but dating up or down the reporting structure is highly unethical. My company has a policy against it, although I wouldn’t do it anyway. Even in places that don’t have such a policy, fucking one’s boss usually leads to favoritism (and breaking up with said boss has negative repercussions for the subordinate, as well). This has a negative impact on employee morale–even the mere *appearance *of favoritism will do this, whether or not it’s the case. But the people involved are hardly disinterested parties capable of making that call. Just don’t do it!
But just dating a co-worker would be fine.
Right now I’m going through this with two people that dated for ten years and it’s becoming a major disaster now that they’ve broken up. Twice already I’ve had to call them in my office, (H/R Director here) and tell them to keep their own private business private or I’d get rid of them both.
I so wish our company had a policy forbidding dating, as I can’t recall it ever working out good. Or maybe it did and the good ones never got back to me <sigh>
I have always been a ‘never in my workplace’ person but after 2 failed marriages I would see the value in dating someone who understands the nature of the employment, and how it affects relationships.
But trust me, the fishin pole ain’t headed to the crick anytime soon!
I chose #2, but it’s really such an individual thing that I doubt any answer is the “right” one. My husband and I met at work. We were at about the same level but didn’t work in the same area. I wasn’t worried about risking it because a) I was head over heels and had no real choice in the matter, and b) I have had relatively few bad breakups, so I wasn’t afraid of any discomfort in having to work with someone I previously dated. I know a lot of people who just can’t have a good breakup for some reason, and I would suggest they never date someone at work.
“Don’t get laid where you get paid” is the best proverb I’ve ever heard.
That being said, I’d totally do it anyway.
Well despite my yes no qualifications answer I wouldn’t anymore but that’s because I married the last one 
On the one hand I wouldn’t date a co-worker…I did it once before, about 13 years ago and if I were to do it again now that would mean my new girlfriend/coworker would be working along side my ex-wife…sounds like fun, huh.
OTOH, if the right person came along, I’d hope we could make it work out, it lasted for 11 years last time and ended on more or less amicable terms. (I mean, we still work together).
One preview, I see my situation is pretty similar to what nikonikosuru said. It’s a small mom and pop type grocery store so hierarchy doesn’t really play into anything too much and since we usually have a handful of high school and college kids here there’s usually a few of them dating with varied results.
I work with a pair who met outside work, but soon the man came to work within the same division. They were both mid-level managers, in charge of completely different areas and did not have to work together or report to each other.
Then they got married. Still all fine. Then she got promoted. Then he got promoted. Now my boss reports to his wife, our grandboss. 90% of the time, they handle stuff with the utmost professionalism. I’m still surprised that her boss and grandbosses were fine with giving him the promotion, knowing he’d be reporting to his own wife. I find that sometimes, he will avoid fighting a good fight (backing up his team/staff) to avoid problems in his marriage. There was one work issue that nearly drove them to the divorce lawyers, so he decided to let it go, to the detriment of all of us who work under him. I don’t blame him; I’d choose my personal relationships over work, too, but. This is why it’s not too cool to date your co-workers. It sucks if it doesn’t work out and it can suck even worse if it does – for everyone else.