With a quarter of all couples now meeting through work, the office is the new nightclub when it comes to finding men. But it can still be seen as taboo. Here’s a tip on how to get through the rules of romance at work.

BE DISCREET
Some workplaces may accept coupled-up colleagues, but chances are it’ll be frowned on. To cover up your back, avoid bars, and cafe shops in the vicinity of your work, and email using private accounts so you don’t risk getting caught on the company email. The main rule for not getting caught is simple: DON’T TELL ANYONE at work. Even if you swear them secrecy, chances are it’ll still come out.

AVOID SPECIAL TREATMENT
Whether he’s in the higher position or you are, promoting your lover is a huge no-no. You’ll both put your jobs at risk and it’s unfair on colleagues. That said, getting involved with someone higher up can benefit your career. I know of an HR director who had an affair with her chief executive- she got to go everywhere with him and attended high-powered meetings that she wouldn’t otherwise have been a part of. Learn what you can while it lasts so if the affair ends, your career will keep going.

PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION
Behaving in an unprofessional manner if you’re dating someone in the office is going to damage your reputation. Ensuring you keep your personal and work lives separate will gain you respect. In order to remain professional, avoid getting physically close in the office, even if you think you’re alone. CCTV often catches people out, so fight your urge to get down and dirty on the boardroom table unless you want your sex tape on your boss’s desk on the next day.

IF YOU COME OUT AS A COUPLE..
Don’t make a big announcement—it’s too dramatic and will draw unnecessary attention. Instead, tell a friend in the office and give her the blessing to tell others. It’s best to enjoy dating for a while before outing yourselves as it’ll save your blushes if things don’t work out.

***
POPSICLE
IN 1905, 11 year old Frank Epperson tried making soda pop, then a popular drink, by mixing soda powder and water. Accidentally, he left the soda out on his porch all night. Temperature dropped so low that the next day, young Epperson found his soda pop had frozen with the stirrer in it! He didn’t know then but he accidentally concocted the very first POPSICLE. It wasn’t until 18 years later, in 1923 that Epperson remembered his invention. He applied for a patent and started selling “EPPSICLE” ice pops in different fruit flavors. Later on, his kids started referring to it as the “POPSICLE” and ever since, it’s been hard to resist the refreshing allure of the tangy summer treat.
CHAMPAGNE
While many know that DOM PIERRE PERIGNON is credited for the invention of champagne, it was not the 17th century Benedictine monk’s intention to make a wine with bubbles in it. In fact, he had spent years trying to prevent just that, as bubbly wine was considered a sure sign of poor wine making. His original wish was to cater for the French court’s preference for white wine. But since Champagne’s climate was relatively cold, the wine had to be fermented over two seasons, spending the second year in the bottle. This produced a wine loaded with bubbles of carbon dioxide, which PERIGNON tried but failed to eradicate. Happily, the new wine was a big hit with the aristocratic crowds in both French and English courts.

ICE CREAM CONE
Before 1904, ice cream was served on dishes. It wasn’t until the World’s Fair of that year held in St. Louis, Missouri, that two seemingly unrelated foodstuffs became inexorably linked together. At this particular 1904 World’s Fair, a stall selling ice cream was doing such good business that they were quickly running out of dishes. The neighboring stall wasn’t doing so well, selling Zalabia a kind of wafer thin waffle in Persia and the stall owner came up with the idea of rolling them into cone shapes and popping ice cream on top. Thus, the ice cream cone was born. •

Other Related Articles