Greenville Magazine - July 2008 - (Page 23)

stolen smile by the copier. A shared joke, drawn out via interoffice email.Lunch in the breakroom – two, three, four times a week. The office environment can lead people to spend a significant amount of time together, but can that shared time reveal a significant other? Today people spend many more hours at work, sometimes more than with family members. It’s natural for people to be drawn together in the office, pursuing common goals and interests. In companies where teamwork is especially important, company socialization may even further chances for singles to meet. Even casual dress codes on Fridays have contributed to the inclination, making employees increasingly comfortable with one another at work. A January 2007 survey conducted by Spherion, a Florida-based recruiting and staffing agency, found that dating a coworker is more common today among younger generations. Among 30 to 39 year olds surveyed, 47 percent have been a part of at least one office romance, whereas only 31 percent of 50 to 64 year olds had. The youngest group polled, ages 18 to 24, was most likely not only to date, but to make their relationships known to their coworkers. Greenville native Michael R. said he had no idea about any specific policies at the manufacturing plant where he met his wife Roberta. He was glad he didn’t know of any, since that might have kept him from making that first move. Michael and Roberta were in the company data center on a Saturday, when Michael, with no coworkers around, mustered the courage to ask her to take a break with him. “I had known who she was for about ten years but never got to know her," he said. Their first date was a quick ice A cream nearby. Once dating, however, Roberta noticed that Michael was still hesitant to reveal their relationship to others, and she found it frustrating. “One day,” recalls Roberta, “we were walking together in the hallway when he [Michael] saw some coworkers coming the opposite way. He moved away from me and acted as if he didn’t know me.” Eventually, however, they “went public” with their relationship and married two years later. But what miffed Roberta may actually be a good thing, according to University of Tulsa professor Amy Salvaggio. At the office you see a side of people that you don’t see out on date. Salvaggio’s study of nearly 200 full-time workers found that many employees felt that workplace romances pose more negatives than positives. A high percentage of colleagues who date coworkers prefer to keep things quiet until a relationship is a sure thing. Surrounding colleagues may feel uncomfortable around a duo, and bitterness can result if the couple feuds after a break-up. It’s risky business, say many researchers. Some relationships from work can lead to serious problems, says Charles Pierce, a business professor at the University of Memphis. Pierce researches workplace issues like sexual harassment. There have been more than 50 sexual harassment cases in the country in the last twenty-five years, not to mention the numerous cases that never end up in court. Pierce says that office romances can easily create low office morale, especially when some coworkers feel others are being favored. In one study, 80 percent of human resources professionals and 60 percent of employees strongly oppose dating between a subordinate and supervisor. Still, if couples are discreet and pursue what they sense is a good thing, then healthy, permanent relationships can result.Vault.com, an online job site, conducted a study which found that 40 percent of those polled said they had met their future spouse at or through work. One HR manager, Gail Jern, reported that dates are really artificial situations compared to growing and learning with someone on the job. “At the office,” she says, “you see a side of people that you don’t see out on date.” Examples include how a person deals with stress, how responsible they are and how they relate to others. When a person in a work-related relationship is happy, he will be more eager to get to work, his productivity can increase and often he’ll become a more loyal worker. Debbie S. and her significant other also met on the job in Greenville. One friend says “Their coworkers still don’t know, because one of them is a supervisor, but fortunately in different departments.” They simply do not meet at work, keeping their relationship strictly after-hours. JULY 2008 | GreenviLLe MaGazine 23 http://Vault.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Greenville Magazine - July 2008

Greenville Magazine - July 2008 Contents Editor's Letter My Greenville Alone At Last Watercooler Romance Greenwood Tourist in Your Own Town One-Tank Trips In The Lead Keeping Students In-State After Hours From the Pros A Look Back Walk this Way If These Walls Could Talk Viewpoints Attorneys The Bulletin Around Town Parting Words

Greenville Magazine - July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.