When should you declare your feelings for a colleague?

Many a love story has begun at work. The highlight of your day is when your breaks coincide; at work-organised social events, you gravitate towards each other. You tentatively suggest a night out, just the two of you; after a few dates, you know that they’re the one. Gazing into their eyes, you say those three little words: let’s tell HR.

Knowing about the romantic relationships between employees helps employers to minimise (or spot) harassment and favouritism. Many employers now have policies around reporting such relationships, especially for cases where one person has power over the other – either by directly managing them, or where their seniority or job role means they might be able to influence the opportunities available to their partner.