BY SUSANNAH BYRD

EDITED BY LAURA DURR

We’ve seen every side of it play out on our television screens. Chandler chained to Rachel’s boss’ filing cabinet so she doesn’t get fired. Ryan Reynolds asking Sandra Bullock to marry him so she can continue to be his boss and doesn’t get shipped back to Canada. From Kelly and Ryan to Jim and Pam and everything in between, finding love at work is almost unavoidable.

And “love” may even be too strong of a word. Love doesn’t include the awkward one night stands, the hushed “sleeping their way to the top” gossip or even the “does his wife know what he really does on those late nights at the office with his assistant?” scenarios.

According to research conducted by Renee Cowan of the University of Texas and Sean Horan of Texas State University, around 40 percent of people in the workplace reported that they have been involved in a romantic relationship that started in the office.

Workplace relationships are defined by R. E. Quinn of Cornell University as situations that occur “between two members of an organization where sexual attraction is present, affection is communicated and both members recognize the relationships to be something more than just professional and platonic.”

With that being said, that leaves 60 percent of the working population uninvolved in romantic relationships that began at work. Something that is not frequently asked is how does the 40 percent effect the other 60 percent? How does the other 60 percent view the 40 percent? Everyone loves to support Jim and Pam, but there were also very valid reasons for why Michael and Jan had to keep their relationship a secret.

The decision to become involved with a co-worker can have a negative impact on the organizational culture. After all, the saying “sleeping their way to the top” did not appear out of thin air and has hung around for a reason.

In the same study, Cowan and Horan found three main reasons why people began relationships with their coworkers: love, ego and job.

Love was the intentional and genuine Jim and Pam type of relationship. Ego motivated relationships were ones that were more for the thrill of it — for the pure rush of being the subject of the “are they or aren’t they” gossip in the break room. And lastly, job motivated relationships were considered the source of the infamous “sleeping their way to the top” stereotype.

Cowan and Horan found that relationships that were perceived by peers as love-motivated were looked upon positively among their coworkers. However, ego and job motivated relationships were looked upon negatively.

Being perceived to be in one of these ego or job motivated relationships, not only hurts one’s relationships with peers, but also hurts job performance and overall company climate.

Besides, who wants to show up to work and see their ex’s face everyday, multiple times a day? It would be hard to find anyone who would be up for that job description. But that is essentially what is agreed as being worth the risk when entering into a workplace relationship.

Unfortunately, these romances can threaten what most people consider to be fundamentals of a work environment, such as trust and fairness.

In a study by Colleen Malachowski of West Virginia University, Rebecca Chory of Michigan State University and Christopher Claus of Towson University, it was found that relationships that existed between a peer and a superior were looked down upon and automatically assumed the role of a ego or job motivated relationship.

In a relationship between two peers, it was more commonly assumed to be a love motivated relationship by other peers, before it was considered to be an ego or job motivated one. These peers also reported that they were more likely to disclose more information about themselves, that they were more trusting, of peers that were engaged in a romantic relationship with another peer, than one with a superior.

While the average workweek is around forty hours and time and proximity are key contributions to interpersonal relationships, romantic relationships in the workplace are inevitable. However, although they may be inevitable, having negative impacts on co workers can be avoidable.

Who is to say where and how you may find your special someone or that the office is any better or worse than meeting your significant other in a grocery store or a bar? But, if you want to have a primarily positive relationship of trust and respect with your peers and fellow co workers, you may not want to make your office the only sea from which you fish.

Not every love story may be one like Jim and Pam, but somehow in the midst of fluorescent lighting and the clicks of keyboards, even Dwight found Angela.