8 easy ways of pulling off an office romance

Eyeing that cute girl who sits in the cube next to you? You're not alone. A recent survey shows that a whopping 56% of employees polled engaged in some type of office romance.

While most companies advise strongly against office romances, sometimes true love still blooms in the workplace. It’s tricky, so how do you evaluate the pros and cons of getting involved with your coworker? Here's an expert guide to dating your coworker without having things get messy:

ALSO READ: I dated a coworker and now we're married - here are 7 more office-romance stories that'll make you think twice

Make sure it's worth it

It sounds simple enough. But it's important to keep in mind that the person you know at the office is likely different from the person he/she is when they're not in a professional setting. Make sure he or she is worth it and that it could become something real since you will be creating a potential for awkwardness and problems in your workplace.

Find out what the policy is on inter-office dating

Most medium- to large-sized companies have legal guidelines for romance between coworkers. Before you get seriously involved with someone, check with your human resources department and make sure you aren't breaking any rules. If the company absolutely does not allow co-workers to date, you could be terminated if they found out.

Don't engage in PDA in front of coworkers
Besides the fact that it's completely unprofessional, it can make your coworkers feel uncomfortable. Wait until after work, when you two can hightail it to either person's apartment or out for an intimate dinner.

Confide in colleagues selectively

If dating at work is allowed, there's no need to send an office-wide memo with a photo of you two in a lip-lock. Realistically, you shouldn't tell anyone unless you are both comfortable with the people who know.

Take extra caution with inter-office communication

It would be beyond humiliating (and unprofessional) for a coworker you aren't dating to get a message that read "Thanks for last night ;)!" It's best to stick to your personal accounts for any, ahem, personal messages you may be sending to the person you're dating.

Talk to your partner about what will happen if the relationship ends

Yes, you need a break-up contigency plan before you move forward. Have a frank discussion about how you two will act toward each other if you decide to call it quits, so that awkwardness and emotions don't interfere with your ability to get the job done.

Chat about topics besides work.

Yes, you have that in common with each other, but if you really want to get to know your coworker, see if you can connect on other topics.

Don't assume you already know everything about each other

When you log long hours at the office every day, you can probably recite what kind of mustard your coworker takes on a sandwich and exactly how he or she answers the phone. But, once you get together romantically, you might discover the person is actually a commitment-phobe, or a serial monogamist, or isn't that funny after all.

(Image source: Forbes)