Office romance 'boosts performance among young staff'

Melbourne, Apr 27 (ANI): Most members of Gen Y think that workplace romance boosts performance and morale, a new study has claimed.

According to a study by US employee benefits provider Workplace Options, 84 percent of employees aged 18 to 29 said they would date a co-worker and 71 percent said they think workplace romance is a positive thing that improves performance and morale.

Their older colleagues disagreed, as only 29 percent of those aged 46 to 65 said they would consider dating someone they worked with, and 90 percent said it could do more harm than good.

"The first thing that pops up is the difference in attitude between the generations," News.com.au quoted Dean Debnam, president and CEO of Workplace Options, as saying.

"Gen Y is looking at this through rose-colored glasses. Workplace relationships can have a negative effect if they aren't managed well," Debnam said.

Jean Baur, career coach and author of Job Interview Answers that Work, said that Gen Y may be more willing to date a co-worker because they are early in their career.

"Older workers grew up in a time where dating a co-worker was considered really dangerous if not downright stupid, and they know that once you have a good job, you don't want to lose it," Baur said.

"Gen Y are less committed to staying with a company because they are early in their career. They think, 'If something happens, oh well, I can find another job," she added. (ANI)