As Valentine's Day approaches, Tolulope Popoola offers some words of caution when it comes to romance at work.

Relationships in the workplace are becoming more and more common in our modern society. The majority of professionals, once they graduate from formal education, spend the bulk of their time at the office. We build a career with other people for years and maybe even decades.

While working together, we can learn a lot about our co-workers: their ambitions, background, likes and dislikes, etc. With the amount of time people spend working, and the increasing percentage of women in the workforce, it is inevitable that several couples will meet this way. Traditional meeting places such as church, the neighbourhood, family events, parties and leisure activities do not always present the same opportunities for continuous contact, or a similar pool of candidates. In contrast, the office provides a pre-selected pool of people who share at least one important interest.

People who work together also tend to live within a reasonable distance to each other, and share the same office location, so they can see each other on a regular basis. Co-workers in similar jobs may also be approximately the same age, and share similar interests outside of work.

THowever, in spite of the opportunities that office romance offers, there are also several things to be aware of. Romantic involvement between employees can be awkward for both the employees and their employer. If they are handled well between the two parties involved, it can lead to a long-lasting happy relationship. On the other hand, if office relationships are handled badly it can lead to embarrassment for the couple, forcing one or both of them to leave their job. It can also lead to problems within the organization or even a sexual harassment lawsuit which the employer has to deal with.

With this in mind, some companies have tried to legislate against dating among their employees. However, most recognize that sometimes, relationships between two adult people who see each other often are inevitable.

What most companies try to implement are policies that restrict activities that are harmful to the business, such as adulterous affairs and inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace during company time and at company locations. Some explicitly state that the management expect all staff members to behave in a professional manner at all times and personal relationships or affairs must be kept separate from the work environment.

If you find yourself attracted to a co-worker, you must be prepared to take appropriate actions to minimise any possible damage to your career should the relationship end badly.

These are a few common sense ideas that will help you to navigate the tricky line between balancing your relationship and your career at the office:

Relationships and romance in the workplace will always be a possibility and will most likely continue to increase as time goes by. If your feelings about a co-worker are so strong that you can't deny them any longer, remember to be very careful and wise. If you are single, be prepared in advance to deal with this possibility if it arises.

Remember there is no perfect world and, as such, we all have to take risks sometimes with our romantic choices. If, however, things work out and the trend in office romance continues to increase, get ready to attend a lot of co-worker weddings!