Office Romances
Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 22 May 2011, Question 2
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on 22 May 2011, I answered a question on office romances.
What advice do you have about dating coworkers? A romantic interest, who is a sort of coworker of mine, is concerned about the effect on her reputation (she's new), as well as conflicts of interest, should we decide to date. If this is the reason she gave for declining a date, does it make sense to ask again after a period of friendship and to suggest we keep our relationship secret? On the other hand, it might be hard to maintain such a secret.
My Answer, In Brief: The problem with office romances – particularly when the people are working in the same team or in the chain of command – is that conflicts over the romance (or its demise) may create problems at work, or vice versa. In this case, if she's accurately representing her concerns, then it might make sense to be discreet about the relationship. Super-secrecy would be untenable – and unwise, however.
Tags: Business, Conflict, Dating, Honesty, Relationships, Romance
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I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
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