Over the last week as I’ve prepared to leave my current job for a new career, I’ve thought about asking out an attractive co-worker that I have had my eye on for the past year.

Then reality and common sense came to my cube and reminded me of the pitfalls of office dating (even if you are about to resign), and my past failures and problems in this department.

Let me tell you first hand that there is no pain like having a broken heart and not being able to escape it (even worse that all your co-workers know about it), because you have to look at him/her every day for 8 hours.

Let me also tell you that the rejection you get from asking out a co-worker is even worse than what you faced at those awkward “mixers” in high school because your co-workers will soon find out and also because you’ll look back regretting the whole thing.

I’ve read those articles about how our long works days and confined work quarters make the workplace the new singles place. Um, no it doesn’t. Trust me, work is so much better when you can come in and be a professional and not have to worry about anything but what is asked of you by your superiors.

It’s simply not worth it to get involved with those around you, yeah you know them and they know you (that’s a problem in itself), but the larger issue the other friends that you share in the workplace.

As much as you may plan to be discreet, careful, quiet and subtle about your little romance, the word will get out faster than those guys on that prison escape show. And you will have to live with that reputation long after the romance is over and the other person is no longer around. It could be months or years later and you’ll walk down a hallway and someone will laugh upon seeing your face.

The risk is higher than the reward when you “Dip in the Till”. Now I’ve heard how the percentage of office romances that turn into marriages is higher than that of regular daters, this might be that they decide to marry so they don’t have to face any futher embarrassment and so that they can keep their jobs.

Yes, in some places office dating is illegal and it should be, a Constitutional Amendment needs to be passed on that kind of activity.

The pain of “Putting Your Shoes on in the Closet” is right up there with tearing ligaments in your knee, except there is no outpatient surgery for dating that so called cutie in accounting.

You really risk your professional good name for you waste a lot of time in the pursuit and passion of this person and even if the person comes after you, still you’re gonna have some interaction and don’t think for one minute that you aren’t being watched closely by your peers and leaders.

It will affect your productivity, your thought process, everything you do at that job will have some bearing changed by this little “thing” you’ve got going on.

But I know how quick it is to get turned on or out by someone that you see everyday, but think about how hard it is to find a job in this day and age, for if things go badly, that’s what you’ll be doing.