Office Romance......

If Birds Do It, Bees Do It, then Employees can do it...

You’d think people have enough to do when they are at work, but obviously they don’t, as they spend huge amounts of time gossiping about each other. And nothing is juicier than other people’s love lives, especially when it’s supposed to be a secret.

The latest rumor making the rounds at your company is that Kunle in accounting department and Mary the office receptionist are “seeing each other”. This might sound a bit strange, but how can you really know for sure, aside from hacking into their email and mobile phones?

There’s no need to do anything as unethical as that — just watch for these signs that an office love affair is brewing.

 1. They Avoid Eye Contact

When Kunle was hired and met Mary on the job there was a bit of competition between them, which led to tension in the office. And so you were happy to see them gradually become cordial, then friends, and finally close friends. Soon it was clear they had really clicked as colleagues.

Everything seemed to be going swimmingly, and then, suddenly, they became extremely formal with each other. Now they barely make eye contact in public anymore. And when you do encounter them in a room together, Mary blushes, Kunle looks pale, and they both suddenly leave.

2. They Never Leave the Office Together

“OK, I’m out of here,” Mary announces loudly, making sure everyone in the office can hear. “I’m heading home to catch up with some domestic chores, wash my hair, and watch Project fame.'”

“I think I’ll stay and do a little more work on the due presentation for tomorrow and prepare for the meeting,” Kunle answers just as loudly. “See you tomorrow.”

You’ve got a pretty small office, and most employees leave work around the same time. But lately, for some odd reason, Kunle and Mary make a point of letting everyone know they are leaving separately.

3. They’re both putting in an Awful Lot of Overtime

You don’t even think about it anymore. When someone is needed to pull a little overtime, you know Kunle and Mary will be the first to volunteer.

They’ve always been good employees, but they used to have lives outside of work. Now (when they aren’t loudly making sure everyone knows they are leaving separately) they are both the first into work in the morning and the last to leave; in fact, you have no idea when they leave, because you do have a life outside the office and you go home.

To Be Continued......