Some relationships, including office romances, do result in marriage. Two people meet, fall in love, and have a desire to commit to one another. As long as there is no policy against this, and if you have considered all the factors involved in taking this step, working together should not be a preventative. Many married couples have continued working together with no problems.
However, there is one consideration that should not be ignored. Two people working for the same company have, as they say, "all their eggs in one basket." If something unforeseen should happen, and the company were to close or have a layoff, both of your livelihoods could be at risk. Stranger things have happened. It is always a good idea to keep your options open and consider other opportunities that might become available. Discuss this with your future spouse, and make sure that you both understand the risk. If your company is stable, and you are a valued member of the team, you shouldn’t have a problem. However, you should always try to keep abreast of possible changes, and not ignore outside factors so that you both won’t be caught off guard.
What Happens if the Relationship Doesn’t Work Out
Ouch! This is probably the most important reason not to get into a relationship with someone at work. Breaking up is hard enough without having to deal with seeing the person who broke your heart (or vice versa) five days a week! What’s worse is that, once the story gets passed around the office, everyone is going to know, and there will almost certainly be tension between different factions. It can get downright ugly, actually, and be extremely detrimental to all parties concerned.
There is no way to predict whether or not a relationship is going to work out going into it. Some do and some do not. The only way to prevent to gossip is to try to keep the relationship low key. That way, if it doesn’t work out, it won’t be quite as big a deal for the office gossips. But there’s no way around this one that is comfortable. It is the risk you take in getting involved with someone at work.
Everyone has heard stories, or even witnessed inter-office romances that have gone bad. In some cases, the situation becomes so unpleasant that one or even both of the parties are asked to leave. Before you even get into this relationship, ask yourself whether or not it is worth your job. In the end, it could come down to that.