One in two young workers have already had a crush on a colleague and almost a third have had a romantic relationship at work. But how to reconcile attraction, career and respect for each person’s limits?
A colleague who pleases: a situation far from rare
A smile at the coffee machine, a bond that builds over the days… Feelings can arise where you least expect them. And the office is no exception. According to the study “Gen Z at workcarried out by OpinionWay for Reddit among 820 French employees aged 18 to 30, 50% say they have already had a crush on a colleague and 31% have already had a romantic relationship at work.
Should we then dare to take the first step? On Reddit, a 25-year-old young woman asks the question: “I have a cute coworker and I’d like to invite him for a drink. Is this happening?”.
The response from several Internet users is direct: “You’re leaving soon, you have nothing to lose“.
The stories told on these forums are not limited to hesitations. A user of r/AskMeuf testifies: “I’ve been with my boyfriend for eight years, he hit on me at work“.
Romantic relationships at work can therefore last. But they also present a particular difficulty: continuing to be around each other every day when feelings are not reciprocated or the relationship ends.
Nearly one in two young workers would prioritize love over their job
This is one of the most striking results of the survey:
49% of young employees surveyed said they would sacrifice their position if their company banned romantic relationships between colleagues.
This figure does not mean that they would actually resign in such a situation. It reflects a declared intention in the face of a hypothetical scenario. It nevertheless suggests that, for part of this generation, love life cannot be systematically relegated to second place behind professional demands.
On Reddit, an Internet user testifies to this dilemma: “I don’t think I’ll try to renew my contract because I would like to invite a colleague for a drink.”.
He is therefore considering giving up the continuation of his contract to try his luck. A personal choice which illustrates the questions raised by an attraction to work, without allowing this attitude to be generalized to an entire generation. Because between the desire to live a story and the need to preserve professional stability, the trade-off can be delicate. Especially since dating applications add a new dimension to these connections.
When dating apps come to the office
According to the study, more than one in five young working people have already had a match on a dating app with a colleague. But a virtual meeting can make professional interactions more delicate. A user says: “A colleague found me on a dating app and hasn’t given up.”.
This testimony recalls an essential rule: an attraction, even expressed on an application, never gives the right to insist when the other person does not show interest. In the office, respecting this limit is all the more important as the two people can continue to cross paths on a daily basis.
On the r/dating_advice forum, an Internet user advises: “Don’t worry, treat it like any other swipe.”.
But the situation is not quite comparable to a casual meeting: at work, a refusal can have consequences on daily life, exchanges and the atmosphere within a team.
Finding your place between feelings and professional life
Online communities provide a space to share doubts and gather opinions. According to the Reddit press release, the r/AskMeuf forum brings together 148,000 women, while r/relationshipadvice has 4.3 million views.
These exchanges can help you gain perspective, without replacing a direct discussion or the precautions necessary in a professional context.
The survey cannot confirm that young employees systematically prioritize love over their career. However, it reveals that the possibility of forming a romantic relationship at work counts in their representation of personal balance.
Because the office is not only a place where you build your professional career. It is also a meeting space, where feelings can arise that are sometimes difficult to reconcile with the constraints of the company.