What the EXPERTS Say

Quote 1: "Long work days often mean missed social opportunities for many professional singles." "Since Match.Com's members tend to be college educated professionals, it isn't surprising that some of them first find us during a break while they are in the workplace, where they are likely to turn to the Internet to get things done in their personal lives." --Trish McDermott, Vice President of Romance at Match.Com.

Quote 2: "When you think about it, dates are really an artificial situation compared to growing and learning with someone on the job." "At the office, you see a whole side of people that you don't see if you just go out on a date. It's a true test of character." --Gail Jern, Westaff Human Resources Manager

Quote 3: "Colleagues who are dating should find out what the company policies are on workplace romance so they can avoid potential negative consequences." "Although they may not lose their jobs, employees involved in office romances could be viewed as unprofessional, especially if they are public in their displays of affection." --Tony Lee, editor in chief and general manager of CareerJournal.com.

Quote 4: "It’s a fine line between an employee’s right to free association and privacy, and an employer’s legitimate business concerns." --Alice DeTora, an attorney

Quote 5: "We share clients and work closely together. It's a benefit to clients." --Teresa Butler Stivarius, an employment lawyer

Quote 6: "Office romances are fact of life. We are human beings, and we spend too much time in the office. In my view, the office is a great place for singles to meet other single people."
--Survey Respondent

Quote 7: "It would behoove companies to have a clear policy as to how far they will tolerate workplace romance." "It's unrealistic to regulate away workplace romance." --Mark Oldman, co-founder of the Vault