[Korean Culture & Language] Even the copier knows about workplace romance

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People nowadays spend the majority of their time at work. From May 10th to December 31st, 2020, people aged 15 and above in the United States worked an average of 3.0 hours every day. Full-time employees, on the other hand, worked for an average of 8.1 hours every day. 

Since employees see their coworkers every day and spend much time together, they are likely to develop mutual interests and get to know each other on a more personal level. There’s also a high chance that they acquire a feel of one another’s intelligence, manner, and ethics, which can create a type of chemistry that could lead them to become something more.

https://career-intelligence.com/romance-in-the-workplace-the-good-the-bad/

Photo by Adolfo Félix on Unsplash

Because 사내연애 (Office Romance) is so controversial but popular in Korea, many famous Korean television shows deal with office romance, like ‘김비서가 왜 그럴까 (What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim)’ and ‘그녀의 사생활 (Her Private Life)’. 

사내연애 is controversial because it usually has both strong positive and negative aspects. 

The main advantage of 사내연애 is that having a spouse, partner, or romantic interest can increase retention at work. Dating a coworker may be an additional avenue for them to form meaningful ties. 

Many individuals, however, nevertheless attempt to avoid 사내연애 because it puts them in a risk of being the main subject of rumors. Once two people in the office start dating, it becomes everyone’s business. Everyone talks about their love life and all eyes are on them.

Even after they break up, they must continue to see or work with one another daily. This can create poor performance, increased absenteeism, and even workplace drama.

Photo by Mahrous Houses on Unsplash

There’s a saying in Korea ‘사내연애는 복사기도 안다 (Even the copier knows about workplace romance)’. Even if two people try to keep their relationship a secret, everyone can tell that they are dating. Unfortunately, many people are fascinated by rumors, and love is hard to hide. 

Have you ever experienced a 사내연애 before? Was it a positive or negative experience for you?