Poll: One out of Ten People Have Faked a Work Emergency to Get Out of a Bad Date

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One out three respondents (31 percent) had dated a co-worker and one out of ten (10 percent) had dated their boss.

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) February 03, 2014

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, a time when some people buy flowers, candy, jewelry and more in the name of romance. People go on dates at fancy restaurants with a significant other or potential love interest. And some of those people fake work emergencies to get out of them. A new poll commissioned by Workplace Options, an employee effectiveness company, takes a look into work and romance.

Respondents cited work as the biggest obstacle in finding time for romance - one out of three people indicated that job responsibilities make it more difficult. And while one out of ten have faked a job-related emergency to get out of a bad date, twice that number (23 percent) admitted to checking work email during any date at all. Of those who checked email during a date, one-third did it because they felt that they had to, while one in five simply wanted to.

“People are connected to their jobs more than ever,” said Dean Debnam, chief executive officer of Workplace Options. “Although it can be beneficial to have instant access and tempting to look at your smartphone, taking some time to unplug can boost productivity at work and satisfaction with work-life balance.”

Romance in the Workplace
As the lines between work and personal time continue to blur, those who make a love connection in the office might find it harder to separate the two. Respondents indicated that nearly one out three (31 percent) had dated a co-worker and one out of ten (10 percent) had dated their boss. Likewise, one out of ten respondents who dated a supervisor found themselves discussing work for more than an hour per day outside of office hours.

“It’s natural for romance to blossom in the workplace, since people spend so much time working together,” said Debnam. “It’s also normal for people to discuss work after hours and their personal lives at work, whether or not it’s an interoffice relationship. Nowadays, work and life are inextricably connected – think ‘integration’ instead of ‘balance.’ It only becomes a problem when it affects employee productivity or morale.”

The national survey was conducted by the North Carolina firm of Public Policy Polling, January 23-26, 2014. The survey polled 693 working Americans and has a margin of error of +/- 3.7%. View complete poll results HERE.

About Workplace Options
Workplace Options helps employees balance their work, family and personal life in order to make their lives healthier, easier and more productive. The company’s world-class employee support and work-life services provide information, resources, referrals and consultation on a variety of issues ranging from dependent care, legal and financial issues to stress management and wellness.

Drawing from an international network of credentialed providers and professionals, Workplace Options is the world’s largest integrated employee support services and work-life provider. Service centers in Raleigh, N.C., London, Toronto, Dublin, Singapore, Panama, and Tokyo support more than 42 million employees in over 32,000 organizations, across more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit http://www.workplaceoptions.com.

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