So far this year, 33% of 550 U.S. workers surveyed acknowledge they are or have been involved with a colleague romantically. Last year, 34% said the same, whereas it was 27% in 2020.

These relationships were seen by the respondents as “unofficial,” SHRM noted. When relationships do become more serious, 65% are between peers, while 19% are between superiors, including a manager, supervisor or boss, and 12% are between subordinates. The percentage of men dating their peers was higher than women, while a higher percentage of women than men had relationships with their superiors.

Younger millennials were more likely to have been asked by a colleague to go out on a date versus older millennials and older generations. “As the pandemic continues to keep many of us apart, it's no surprise that workers are looking for connection amongst their colleagues—remotely or otherwise,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM president and chief executive officer. “But if workers are finding romance in the workplace, it's key that employers have a workplace romance policy in place to prevent harmful situations should relationships go awry.”

Read the full article from the Society for Human Resource Management.