Don't Get Your Honey Where You Get Your Money
Yes, I am talking about your coworker.
I get it. You spend 40 hours a week with the same people, you learn about eachother, and entertain each other because it does make work a little better than what it is.
You stare at each other across the kitchen, he helps you grab the heavy boxes, runs your food to your tables, and tells you how beautiful you look. She writes your messages down for you, brings you coffee in the morning, and looks at you a type of way, that just gets to you.
Let's be real, you’re just bored, sometimes there's nothing to do, and you need the damn hours. You are not Pam and Jim from “The Office,” and this isn't fate.
According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), about half of U.S. workers had a crush on a coworker, and 21% went on a date with a coworker.
It is understood that work becomes more exciting when there is a love interest involved, and the study even found that a workplace crush can increase a worker's motivation, overall mood, and sense of belonging at work.
However, I will be shedding light on the negative and horrific sides of dating a coworker.
The minute you decide to see your coworker in clothes that aren't uniform, you know you have messed up. NEVER let the coworker crush leave the workplace, or it will become tainted.
Now, I understand that there are thousands of couples that make it. They get married and have a beautiful life, all because they met at work.
However, there are also even more situations where the relationship between coworkers becomes a nightmare.
As a server, it is the top place where you get attention every time you step into the doors. People literally have nothing better to do than get to know you, and you can't fool this kind of behavior for something more.
But let me tell you something. Your cooks are not your husband; your bartender is not your man, and the food runner is definitely not the love of your life.
I know I am talking about restaurants, but this is everywhere and in every workplace. Don’t get yourself in that office romance or the hospital love quarrel. This is no scene from Grey's Anatomy, and he isn't going to be your McDreamy.
You guys catch up about your weeks; they know about all your relationship problems, they know about your family, and get the life update every time you work together. You talk about all the things you could potentially do together, but let this stay a fantasy and nothing more.
You try to convince yourself that dating your assistant isn't inappropriate and that dating someone who is in a higher position than you won’t make it complicated.
The age gap is not too bad until you realize that they are 10 years older than you, working the same job.
Work is a place to get your bag and build your career up. How are you going to feel when it ends? You have to continue to see this person all the time, it's awkward, and it's genuinely horrific.
You will mess up your workplace, and people will hear and notice quicker than you could imagine. They will know when you are fighting and when you are talking about it. And they WILL get involved.
I've seen it, I’ve heard about it, read about it in the EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, and experienced this firsthand. Trust me, I enjoy the attention and the sight of beautiful people working and talking to me, but I also enjoy my peace and a drama-free work environment, and I truly will never go down that road again.
You are so excited to see them at work until you cross that line, and now you are deciding whether or not to quit because you can’t bear to see their face.
Remind yourself why you are working, and enjoy the little work romances, but like I said, the minute you take it further, and you finally get to see what kind of clothes they own other than uniform, everything changes.
Take all that energy into making your money and becoming the successful person you plan to be. You don’t have time to entertain situations like this, and at some point, we all need to learn this lesson.
Strike Out,
Kaden Horn
Boca Raton
Kaden Horn is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. In her free time you can find her writing creative nonfictional and even fictional stories about every situation in her life. If you become acquainted with her, you might just end up being a character in her stories. She loves music, whether it’s making playlists or playing guitar. You can reach her by email at kaden.horn813@gmail.com, or her instagram @kadennhunter
