Definition

• An office romance is two employees deciding to get involved with each other romantically. This could be classified as a fling or as a relationship. Whether the employee is dating another co-worker or a superior, the relations are considered an office romance or even dating in the workplace.
  
  

Business Aspect

• Most businesses look down upon dating or having relationships within the office. Upon hiring, businesses will provide the new hire with an employee handbook. Inside the handbook there will be a section that states that it is against company rules to indulge in relations with another employee romantically and this could lead to termination. Wording may be different per company and it will be up to you to read further into the employee handbook after hiring but there is usually some sort of written regulation that condemns this type of behavior among employees.
  
  

Negative Effects

• Office romances can cause negative effects on many areas of the business model. If two people start dating they may take same days off to be together which affects employee attendance. In addition to possible attendance problems, the employees could decide to pay more attention to each other than the day's tasks, causing them to miss business targets.
  
  This could also put more responsibilities on other employees not involved in the relationships. When staff do not complete tasks productivity lowers and profitability is affected. To some businesses profitability is the most important aspect to the business because it keeps it afloat.
  
  

Profitability

• Profitability is one of the most important goals in a business model, it is important to stay up-to-date with numbers that help the company succeed and stay in business. Profitability affects the payroll, bonuses and production of a company. Profitability also shows the credibility of a company. If it makes its sales and meets overall goals, then clientele will see how the company can meet those goals and will trust in the company's mission.
  
  

Romance and Effect

• Distraction through an office romance is a huge factor and could affect profitability because daily goals are taken lightly and are not being completed. This means numbers not met and the image of the company on the line.
  
  Workplace romances could result in break-ups, after which one or both employees may want to leave the company -- and staff turnover puts a dent in the productivity and therefore profitability. Either way, office romances most likely effect the business model negatively.