Valentine’s Day is coming, and millions of people will exchange bouquets of roses, expensive chocolates, cheesy greeting cards and extravagant gifts to express their love to one another on February 14th, but Cupid should stay away of the workplace.
A recently conducted survey asked over 1,000 employees and job seekers about their thoughts on love in the workplace and Valentine’s Day. It found that 31% said they have received a Valentine’s Day gift from a co-worker, but the majority did not, Why? Valentine’s Day really can be one of those awkward days in the office, For a lot of us we’re spending more time with our office-mates than our significant others, and that certainly can lead to an awkward kind of ‘Do I get something for him or her?’ moment. It may depend on your company’s culture and your relationship with that specific colleague, but in most cases the answer is no.
If you’re already engaged in a romantic relationship with a co-worker, don’t bring your love life into the workplace, it is important if you are actually involved in a relationship to keep the celebration out of the office. Send the flowers or candy to their home. While your relationship may be acknowledged in the office, which is always the best course of action, you don’t want to be showing your love in front of your colleagues.
Valentine’s Day may bring out the romantic side in many of us, but that doesn’t excuse inappropriate behavior. Don’t flirt with your colleagues, something as simple as a greeting card can even start trouble. We all have seen some people that do a whole Valentine’s Day surprise thing that usually turns out disastrously, with missed expectations, misunderstanding and hurt feelings. If you’re giving something to one, give it to all, or else the question of favoritism will rear its ugly head.
Bringing cookies or another treat for all your co-workers can be a fun way to celebrate. But be careful not to get too personal or excessive. For example, gifts like jewelry may be misconstrued, and a recorded CD might be a bit too much and causes confusion.
If you are keen on celebrating Valentine’s Day at work, try to attach it to a team-building experience, Create a ‘Love Board’ where everyone can share what they love about their job. Use this as an opportunity to let your co-workers know how much you appreciate their work. Thanking co-workers when they least expect it can lead to a great business atmosphere.
At the end, Simply wish your colleagues a happy Valentine’s Day. You can acknowledge the day without crossing any lines or making anyone feel uncomfortable.
To be honest, since the day is a celebration of love, my suggestion is to stay away of this particular someone completely at work.