How to know if it's safe to date a coworker
Misreading workplace signals can trigger an immediate call from HR and ruin professional standing. Fear of awkward fallout and strict office politics stops people from pursuing office relationships, leaving them guessing whether mutual interest is real or too risky to touch.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Pretending not to date until engaged
- 2Only dating people in different departments
- 3Waiting until leaving the job
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I mean, one wrong misreading of interest and HR will be calling you in. What are the green lights to pursue a coworker?”source ↗
Crowd_Surf · r/Teachers · 128 upvotes
“For every 'happily ever after' there are a thousand 'and then HR had to step in.'”source ↗
j9r6f · r/Teachers · 1 upvotes
“You don’t shit where you eat”source ↗
dsmith1994 · r/Teachers · 1 upvotes
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to set boundaries with a work friend who is demanding HR info
- 9Why do people think basic workplace kindness means romance?
- 2How to date when teaching leaves you with zero emotional energy
- 3Coworker taking credit for my work
- 4Why do teachers keep getting mistaken for students?
- 3How to find people to travel with when friends can't go