<p> Falling in love on the job Once outlawed, office romances are now blooming all around By Steve Proctor Business Editor</p><p>Laura Hillier was handing out pay stubs in her office when she first set eyes on Mike Levy a sales executive. The cheery 26 year-old payroll administrator at Admiral Insurance in Halifax says it sounds funny to say out loud but she knew immediately that she and Mike were meant to be together. To strike up a conversation, I asked him to help me to hand out the stubs and the rest, as they say, is history.” Laura and Mike has been dating for several months and plan to go away together this weekend to mark Valentine’s Day. They initially tried to keep their interest in each other quiet, but after a month of spending every lunch together and leaving together in the evening, they didn’t see much point in continuing to hide their relationships from c-workers. “We keep it very professional, but we have a very social office,” Ms. Hillier said. “We go to office parties together and he’ll send me flowers. Everyone knows they’re from him.” Years ago, even that kind of low-level office intimacy was grounds for dismissal. While most employers take a more relaxed stance today, a recent Yahoo survey suggested that one third of all companies in the United States still have a policy forbidding romantic liaisons between co-workers. Not surprisingly the same survey showed that nearly four in 10 workers ignore the ban. In CareerBuilder.ca’s annual office romance study released this week, it’s clear that when Cupid’s arrows fly, they often land in a nearby cubicle. In the survey, 34 per cent of workers said they have dated a co-worker, with 14 per cent admitting to doing it twice or more. Twenty per cent said they married the person they dated at work. “We have a staff of 150, most of whom are under 40, so we’re going to have office romances,” said Dee McLean, communications officer with Admiral Insurance. “We don’t have any rules or stipulations. Our people have always conducted themselves in a professional manner. We’ve never had an issue.” She said it’s often hard to tell who is seeing whom, but at times like Valentine’s, when the company offers candygrams as a fundraiser for the SPCA, some relationships can be seen more clearly. According to the American management Association, one reason for the loosening of romance rules may be the dramatic increase in young people working longer hours in the workplace. An association report said there are 20 per cent more singles in the workforce now than 10 years ago, with many of them spending more time at work than in any other activity. Many companies have boosted employee morale by relaxing restrictions on dating. Edith Callaghan and her husband Paul have worked together as professors at the Manning School of Business at Acadia University for eight years. She said she and her husband have never talked in detail about behaviour that might or might not be acceptable at the Wolfville school. “The principle has always been one of being professional and treating each other with respect and dignity,” she said. “What happens at home stays at home. It’s not always easy, but to do otherwise would be too disruptive for the workplace.” Ms. Callaghan suspects the new economy is partly why employers are easing up on their concerns abut workplace romances. With many people telecommuting, or working from home, the distinction between home and work has been blurred she said. While some couples can work together all day and then go home together, Ms Callaghan is grateful her husband’s office is at the other end of the building. “It’s fine to work with someone, but if you are joined at the hip the whole time, I can see it becoming a problem,” she said. “A little distance in a relationship is not a bad thing.” Amy Reid, Atlantic vice-president with David Aplin Recruiting, said a random survey conducted this week found few clients in the region with formal office romance policies. “The consensus was that people can engage in romantic liaisons at work until the relationships start to interfere with daily business operations,” she said. Office romances can be beneficial for company she added. Employees in love may be happier and therefore more productive. And with the tight labour market forcing employers to become increasingly flexible to attract specific talent, it s not uncommon for a married couple to be employed by the same firm. Back at Admiral Insurance, Mr. Levy admitted that because a previous workplace romance had ended badly, he pondered how a future breakup with Ms. Hillier might affect his work and his co-workers. But he decided that dating her was worth it. “You have to take risks,” he said. “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Falling in love on the job Once outlawed, office romances are now blooming all around Answer the following questions based on the Chronicle Herald Article “Falling in Love on the Job” which deals with the topic of office romances.</p><p>1. What was the traditional (older) standpoint on office romance?</p><p>2. According to CareerBuilder’s annual office romance study, what percentage of workers say they have dated a co-worker?</p><p>3. According to the American Management Association, what is one reason for the loosening of romantic rules in the workplace?</p><p>4. How many companies in the United States, according to Yahoo, have a no dating policy between co-workers?</p><p>5. What are some (5) ways office romance can kill your career?</p><p>6. Explain what this statement means: ““The consensus was that people can engage in romantic liaisons at work until the relationships start to interfere with daily business operations.”</p><p>7. In a well crafted piece of writing that is at least 2 paragraphs in length, answer the following questions:  What is your personal opinion of office romance?  Is it a good or bad idea? Professional or unprofessional? Ethic or unethical?  What dangers can arise from such a relationship?  When can a romance interfere with work?  Are there any exceptions?</p><p>Remember, this is your opinion. But be sure to back it up!!</p>