dericv: Never dip your pen in the company inkwell!

achom: From personal experience, I can tell you that a personal/business relationship does not work. Once it starts, it cannot end until someone leaves the company. Trust me, I know. After three stormy years and countless hours of lost work, the relationship I'm trying to end (or at least I think I'm trying to end) is still not completely over. If I wasn't working with this girl, we would have had a 6-month relationship, tops.

rpascual: I once worked for the same company as my girlfriend, now my wife. It was not a very good experience, especially because she worked in a department that audited our department. In less than two-months, I left the company. No matter how objective you may be, perception is something you don't take for granted in your career.

Spunky: I work on a unversity campus. I used to date a guy that worked in a different department than I, but in the same building. My experience was that I never had any time to myself. He'd be waiting on me when I arrived at work in the morning and on the few days that I didn't eat lunch with him, he would leave notes on my car before lunch so that I could pick them up when I left for lunch. Then he'd call 2 or 3 times a day. When I'd go to my car at the end of the day there would be another note. My experience was one of total suffocation. I ended that relationship in a hurry and haven't had any other problems with him. Given the right person, I think it could work, but both would have to be totally sure of themselves and totally committed to making the relationship work.

PapaZulu: Live fast and die young! But never get involved with one of your collegues. I once did and still regret it.

Luka: If you can go barbecue with the guys at the office on the weekend, then surely you can have a relationship with another employee. From my own personal experience, I had a wonderful relationship (we found out some things we hadn't known about each other and were glad to learn), and despite having to see each others' face when we walked in in the morning, it was still worth it.

stvndit: This is a touchy subject, as it depends on the individual's expectancies, but can lead to pretty nasty results like conflicts of interest and even to scenarios of "sexual harrasment." Overall, I would stay away from any such undertakings; I have seen many a good marriage ruined because of this impromptu impulse.

Bluenose: I think this is such a complex topic that it's hard to point out any hard and fast rules, unless you want to play it safe and protect yourself. In which case, it should be generally regarded as a no-no. Depends on the circumstances, the job, the other people in the company, etc. But there is one thing that I find that does help...if you do meet someone at the office and decide to pursue a relationship....LET EVERYBODY KNOW what's going on between you two. Your co-workers will appreciate your honesty and will appreciate getting it straight from the horses mouth....and it's easier for them to deal with it in terms of changed interpersonal relationships at the office, possible conflicts of interest, etc.

Ron_Hodges: I met my wife working on the same contract with a government agency, and we ended up working on the same project. We became best friends and gradually realized it was becoming alot deeper than that. We moved in together within a year and got married several years later (2nd marriage for both of us).
The key to any successful relationship is mutual respect and communication. The key to making it work in an office environment is to maintain the utmost in professional conduct at all times. If you do that, no one can make any criticism and you will avoid some potentially difficult situations. For me, the positives far outweigh any possible negatives. I would have to struggle to think of any negatives, to tell the truth.