A lot of business owners put policies in place to prevent their employees from forming relationships with others. If you are thinking of doing something similar in your business, you might want to think again, because, actually, office romances can actually benefit your business.

Some people find love at local bars, some find chat line numbers to connect them with potential new loves, and some people meet in the workplace. It has long been thought that workplace romance are sure to cause problems in the average office, and it is true that a failed office romance can cause problems, but before you lay down the law and band them in your business, take a look at these very compelling benefits.

They Can Improve Employee Retention

Recruiting and training employees is an expensive business, so as a business owner, chances are you will want to hold on to your staff for as long as possible to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. If that’s the case, you may want to allow office romances instead of banning them because, after all, people who have a romantic partner in the office probably aren’t going to want to up and leave, just like people who have good friends int eh workplace tend to stick around for longer too.

Boost Productivity

There is some evidence to suggest being in love can hit your productivity hard, but this might not be the case for people who are involved in romantic relationships with their co-workers. Think about it – when someone is dating a co-worker, chances are they will have fewer sick days because they will want to see them as much as possible, then there’s the fact that they will probably talk shop at home, whereas if they are seeing someone outside of work, that chat would probably be more boring. The more they discuss work with each other, the more likely they are to come up with new creative ideas that boost productivity and help your business to be even better.

Foster a Positive Culture

Having a positive culture in your business is a great way to retain employees, improve productivity and improve your reputation, and there is no denying that not standing in the way of office romances is a good way to show care, compassion, and understanding to your employees, not treating them like children. If colleagues don’t feel scared when they fall in love they are likely to work harder and better for you overall, and you will be seen as a great boss – what’s not to love?

Managing Office Romances

All that being said, when office romances break down, it can be difficult for all involved, which is why you should get together with HR and draw up some sound policies to ensure breakups can be managed compassionately, but also in a safe, legal, and ethical ways for all of you. If you fail to do this, you could be walking into a minefield, so be sure to do whatever you can to make it work for you all.