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Pandemic sparks more office romances, study finds

Maybe it’s easier to fall in love over Zoom.

A new survey this week found a third of U.S. workers (33%) are currently involved or have been involved in a workplace romance — 6 percentage points higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic (27%). Half reported they’ve had a crush on a coworker.

“During the past few years, people have spent more time isolated than together, and workers are looking for meaningful connections,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and chief executive officer of SHRM, the organization that conducted the survey. “And let’s face it—in a time where there’s frequently less division between work and home, people are logging more time than ever with their colleagues.”

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He added: “There is nothing new about workplace romances, which is precisely why employers are increasingly abandoning policies prohibiting such relationships and, instead, are now focused on disclosure policies.”

And that’s where office relationships can run into problems — when it comes to disclosure.

Designers having a great time in the office
Remote work spurred a yearning for meaningful connections once found working in an office (Photo Credit: Getty Creative) (Geber86 via Getty Images)

Take perhaps the most publicized COVID-era office romance: that of Jeff Zucker, CNN Worldwide’s president who suddenly resigned from his post last week citing his undisclosed relationship with Allison Gollust, CNN's executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

The romance between the decades-long colleagues and friends sparked during the pandemic, according to a statement from Gollust.

"Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years. Recently, our relationship changed during COVID,” Gollust wrote. “I regret that we didn't disclose it at the right time.”

Zucker and Gollust aren’t alone. A majority of those who have been in a workplace romance haven’t disclosed their relationship to their employer, SHRM found. And more than three-quarters said their employer doesn’t require them to disclose a workplace romance.

There also can be a drawback to disclosure requirements. “The biggest pitfall is that an employee discloses their relationship and the employer uses that disclosure to negatively impact the employees’ career trajectory,” Taylor added.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08: Chairman, WarnerMedia Jeff Zucker attends CNN Heroes at American Museum of Natural History on December 08, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia)
Chairman, WarnerMedia Jeff Zucker attends CNN Heroes at American Museum of Natural History on December 08, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia) (Mike Coppola via Getty Images)

'Disclosure doesn't have to be a big deal'

But for the most part, employers realize romances are embedded in workplaces far and wide – as long as they remain consensual.

“Organizations love love when it works out,” said Laurie Ruettimann, an HR consultant and author of “Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career.” “Historically, companies in America have celebrated couples who have met at work and married and had children in a traditional way. When it works out well, they lean into love because it reinforces this notion that the workplace is a family. Happy people equal happy employees.”

Ruettimann knows this territory first hand.

“I met my husband at work,” she said. “I was in human resources, and he was a manager. It was no big deal. Not every workplace relationship is steeped in drama.”

But rules are rules no matter what level you are in a company.

“Disclosure doesn't have to be a big deal,” she said. In regards to CNN’s Zucker’s relationship with Gollust, “it’s not like anybody asked them to take out a billboard. All they had to do was disclose it. When people think they're above the rules, or the rules don't apply to them, that's not an issue of relationships at work. That's a toxic mindset.”

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Kerry is a Senior Columnist and Reporter at Yahoo Money. Follow her on Twitter @kerryhannon.

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