The fool’s guide to dating your junior or employee

.As the cliché goes, love is like a cough, it cannot be hidden. Love affairs in the workplace have been rampant in the 21^st century. It’s no a strange thing to hear of people working in the same company dating, be it an employee dating a fellow employee or an employee dating his boss.

In most cases, it doesn’t end up well as it leads to loss of job, frustration and stigmatization. For a boss to date his/her employee successfully, he/she should put into consideration the following factors:

Keep it out of work place: Every staff member is looking up to you as the boss to show the way. Engaging in love affairs in the workplace might disorient your/company principles, hence staggering the company away from the right track. Use your time after work for love affairs away from the work place.

Treat him/her like any other employee: Special treatment towards one person kills the morale of other employees hence underperformance. If at all you have to treat him/her in a special manner, like buying lunch, make sure you invite a couple of colleagues to avoid any show of discrimination.

However, if you make it a routine, issues will brew which will be difficult to handle, and you will not be able to reverse. This might taint your image, and that of your organization, something you do not want happen. Also, when you are driving to and from work do not always come with him/her. This will spark a nasty discussion that might stigmatise him/her, and you do not want to see your loved one being stigmatized.

Don’t plan vacations together: This is one of the biggest temptations for bosses dating their employees. However, it is one of the greatest mistakes to make in the workplace. The better percentage do not like their bosses, and this will give them a reason to vilify you. This may turn sweet thing sour as you might lose your job, if you are employed, or disparage the image of your organization.

See Also >> Ten tips for dating your boss

Stay away from social media: Keep your love affair to yourself, unless you are married. Social media is a public place, and not the best place to showcase your private matters. The use of social media will expose your relationship to cyber-bullies and malicious ‘friends’ who want to bring you down.

Work first: It’s the job you hold that feeds you, fuels your car, pays your rent and keeps you financially stable. Anything else that endangers your work endangers your lifestyle too, and it will be too bad to lose your source of livelihood. If you lose the job, bigger chances are that you’ll lose him/her.

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