TORONTO, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Love is in the air and it's wafting its way through the office. Three-in-ten (30 per cent) workers said they have dated a co-worker at least once over the course of their career; 12 per cent reported dating co-workers at least twice.  Twenty-eight per cent said their office romance led them to the altar. This is according to CareerBuilder.ca's annual office romance survey of more than 600 workers across Canada conducted by Harris Interactive© between November 9 and December 5, 2011.

How Many Dated the Boss?

While the majority of relationships developed between workers in comparable job levels, 25 per cent of workers who dated a co-worker said they have dated someone above them in the company hierarchy, and 13 per cent admitted to dating their boss. Women were more likely than men to date someone higher up in their organization – 35 per cent compared to 17 per cent, respectively .

How Much Does Your Job Factor into Your Love Life?

One-in-four workers (25 per cent) reported that what someone does for a living influences whether they would date that person.  Five per cent of workers said someone broke up with them because their job required too many hours at the office, they didn't make enough money or the person didn't like their line of work.

Do Opposites Really Attract?

While the majority of workers tended to date people in different professions or functions, nearly one-in-five workers (18 per cent) reported that they are attracted to people who have a similar job.  

Where Do Office Romances Begin?

Social settings outside of the office were cited most often in regard to workers connecting on a romantic level.  Running into each other outside of work (15 per cent), happy hours (14 per cent), late nights at work (9 per cent), and at lunch or a company holiday party (7 per cent) were among the most popular catalysts for dating co-workers.

Are Relationships Better Kept Secret?

Most workers who have had office romances said they were open about their dating situation.  Thirty per cent reported they had to keep the relationship under wraps. 

"Whether you're dating someone higher-up or a colleague at the same level, office romances are always tricky," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "First and foremost, it is important to know your company's office dating policy.  Remember to stay professional and draw a boundary line between your personal life and the workplace."

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within Canada by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.ca among 697 Canadian workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between November 9 and December 5, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 697 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 3.71 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder.ca

CareerBuilder.ca is a leading job site in Canada.  Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), the Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), CareerBuilder.ca powers the career centers for more than 250 Canadian partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences.  These include leading portals such as MSN.ca and Macleans.ca.  Job seekers visit CareerBuilder.ca every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic e-mail job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management.  For more information about CareerBuilder.ca products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.ca.

Media Contact
Michael Erwin
CareerBuilder
+1 773-527-3637
michael.erwin@careerbuilder.com 
http://www.twitter.com/CB_Canada_PR

SOURCE CareerBuilder.ca