First Posted: 1/28/2015

It is 6 a.m. and your alarm is beckoning you to leave the warm comforts of your bed for the third time and you cannot hit your snooze button anymore. It is time to be a grown up and earn a paycheck so you can afford your rent and a bottle of wine to drink during your next Netflix binge. You drag yourself to the shower, stand there fighting the little voice in your head that is telling you those sniffles are the sign of an impending case of pneumonia and you should really use a sick day. The big meeting on your calendar reminds you that isn’t an option. Against your will, you throw on a sweater dress and some leggings, pull on your Uggs and throw your hair into some resemblance of a bun so you look presentable enough to pass off as a functioning adult. There is no one at the office you need to impress anyways, unless there is.

The morning routine of the office romance girl is vastly different. This is the girl who jumps excitedly out of bed at 5:30 so her hair, make-up and outfit are so on point that she could be walking down a runway instead of walking through the aisles of cubicles for a coffee. She is bright eyed, bushy tailed and can’t wait to get to work. Little does she know that after the excitement of the office fling is over, she will be left with the office walk of shame and will likely have to sit uncomfortably across from her latest mistake at the next department meeting.

Should you ever date someone you work with? In my opinion and experience, I have to say no. It is an easy trap to fall in to. You get to know someone on a deeper level than casual dating because you are spending 8 hours a day with them. Before you get caught up in the whirlwind romance, you have to ask yourself, would you want to spend that same amount of time with any of your other exes?

The office ex, not only will you have to see them every day post break-up, which depending on the depths of the relationship, may be equivalent to emotional cutting. You will remain in close quarters and have to see them moving on with their lives. This is sometimes more painful than the break up itself.

What else could go wrong? You will also have to come to terms with the fact that people in the office will eventually find out and no matter how much you try hiding what is going on (which can be fun at first) it will get out and you will be whispered about. Do you really want to be named the office harlot over an interoffice hookup? One bad rumor could ruin a good reputation.

My advice ladies, there are reasons that the phrase “don’t dip your pen in the company ink” and “keep your work and play separate” exist. This is wisdom passed down from the girls who learned their lesson the hard way. Go back to your snooze button and messy bun and leave the put together run way girl for happy hour, not lunch hour.