Would you date a colleague – or even your boss? That’s what Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim, stars of Netflix reality series Selling Sunset, have done.
The pair, who met when Stause started working at the luxury real estate firm that Oppenheim owns with twin brother Brett, have now made their red carpet debut in Los Angeles looking loved up at the premiere of Marvel film Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.
Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim have made their red carpet debut together (Jordan Strauss/AP)
While some people might balk at the idea of getting together with a co-worker – worrying that they’d have to hide their burgeoning romance or leave the company if they split up – sharing an office with your other half could actually help make your relationship stronger.
So while it’s advisable to tread carefully, meeting at work does have some advantages.
You understand each other’s jobs
Even if your partner regularly fills you in on their day to day stresses, the highs and lows of their job and the pesky behaviour of their colleagues, sometimes you can’t truly appreciate what a workplace is like unless you’re in the thick of it.
Working for the same company or in the same team you won’t have to give a blow-by-blow account of that disastrous client meeting or boring presentation because they were there. You can offload to each other at the end of the day knowing that your other half understands what you’re going through.
You’re on the same timetable
If you share the same working hours and annual leave allocations it’s easier to plan your weekly schedules. Going for lunches together or clocking off at the same time to go and enjoy date night can help maintain your work/life balance.
It’s organic
In an age where many people meet on dating apps and over the internet, getting to know each other naturally, over a period of time, can be help you see qualities that probably aren’t visible on their online profile. You might end up falling for someone at work who you’d have dismissed quickly online.
You have a head start
Tatyana Dyachenko, a sex and relationship therapist and psychologist, says: “Meeting at work can be a great starting point for a relationship as you will already know the person quite well meaning you should know about their little quirks or funny habits.
“This is an advantage over starting out as complete strangers – you’ve already skipped the ‘getting to know each other’ phase.”
(Alamy/PA)
Working from home is easier
As anyone who has been forced to set up an ‘office’ in the corner of their bedroom or in a dingy hallway will know, couples who work from home together can struggle to share the same space. If you’re colleagues in the same team, it’s easier to jump on Zoom calls together and bounce ideas of each other.
You can commute together
If you’re already back in the office, catching the same train into work or taking it in turns to drive can give you some extra quality time together and take away the stress of commuting.
You’ll see a side to each other many couples don’t get to see
Couples who have completely different jobs might never get the chance to see who their partner really is at work. Sure, your ‘work self’ might also be stressed and under pressure at times, but your partner might also get to watch you boss it in a presentation, shine in a big meeting or ace something you care about too, and that’s pretty attractive.
