India Ranks 2nd in Office Romance—Men Admit More Than Women

According to a new international survey, India comes second in the world after Mexico in office romances with 40 percent Indians reporting to have dated and are dating a colleague. The data show that there is a vivid gender imbalance with men in India more likely to admit office romances as compared to women (51% vs 36%), indicating that they feel more comfortable with the disclosure and that the perceived risks are less. The younger employees (18-24) seem to be more cautious with many referring to the issue of career impact. The figure is impressive compared to the western markets such as the US, UK and Canada (the same is approximately 30 per cent) which indicates that there is a shift in social norms, long work days, and the propinquity that fosters relationships in the workplace. Employers are reacting by using more explicit conduct policy as a way of balancing the freedom and security.

India’s rank and headline numbers

India follows the United States in office romance with 40 percent of those surveyed admitting to former or current connections with workmates, closely following Mexico with 43 percent and leading several western nations, which are around 30 percent. The survey was conducted in 11 countries and among 13,581 adults, which highlights the fact that relationships at the workplace are still prevalent even with the increased awareness of the professional boundaries and HR policies. The 40 percent figure of India is repeated in coverage across national outlets and that of Mexico with their top positions at 43 percent, validating the relative ranking.

Gender And Generational Trends

There is a higher likelihood of coworker dating amongst men compared to women 51% vs 36% respectively showing more involvement or are more willing to disclose, whereas women are more repelled by the perceived professional consequences. When looking at general-population data in the 11-country sample, there is more often citation of career impact as a reason to prevent office romance by women and more often citation of personal fallout as a reason by men as perceived risks. The most conservative group is the younger workers (18-24), as 34% of them are concerned about impact on the career, which is a characteristic of a boundary-conscious relationship in the workplace.

Why this matters for workplaces

Office relationships in India are becoming common; this is an indicator of the changing attitudes and the practical aspects of the modern workplace such as shared work, work-long hours, and social mixing which demand clear and fair policies that govern conflicts, power inequality, and morale of the team. The risk could be minimized with clear instructions on how to disclose, reporting relationship, and anti-retaliation measures that do not interfere with adult autonomy and privacy. To leaders, the use of objective performance processes and proactive communication can aid in the avoidance of the perception of favoritism, and the training of consent, boundaries, and conflict management can be offered by the HR.

Key takeaways

The office romance is very high in India which is ranked second in the world (40%), after Mexico (43%) and before some western nations (~30%).
Office affairs are more confessed by men than women (51 percent and 36 percent, respectively); women are more scared of financial ramifications.
The most cautious workers are Gen Z, who claim they are impacted by their careers at significant proportions.