Richard Branson says office romances are inevitable and should be celebrated

The founder of the Virgin Group has declared that love within the office is unavoidable, and a good thing as long as certain guidelines are followed.

According to a recent survey from CareerBuilder, nearly half (46%) of workers have dated a co-worker, while 30% even went as far as marrying them.

In an article for Canadian Business, Richard Branson writes: “Everyone spends more time than ever before in the workplace and, with most first marriages taking place in people’s mid- to late 20s, falling in love at the office would seem inevitable, rather than a corporate misdemeanour.”

However CareerBuilder’s findings show that 48% of office romances had to be kept a secret. An idea that Branson disagrees with: “Any guidelines you put in place should avoid forcing people to conceal their relationships – that openness will prove to be a win-win for your company and your employees.”