According to Russians, office romance usually do not end with anything serious, moreover, they damage work environment.
MOSCOW, February 14, 2012. On the St.Valentine`s Day Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing what Russians think about office romances.
Four percent of working Russians admit to having a workplace romance. Most of them are Russians aged 18-24 (8%), representatives of business community (11%) and state servants (13%). Other 22% personally know those who have an office romance. Twenty-eight percent of respondents admit that some of their colleagues might have workplace romances but they do not know if it is true or not. Forty-seven percent of respondents are confident that they do not have colleagues who have a workplace romance: most of them are non-qualified personnel (60%), persons of pre-retirement age (51%) and rural area residents (60%).
Russians tend to think that most of workplace love affairs are short-term and do not end up with anything serious (46%). Moreover, respondents believe that romantic relations between colleagues can damage work performance (49%). At the same time, many Russians do not see anything bad in a romance between a man and a woman, even if they work together (53%).
The remainder has ambiguous attitude toward office romances. A part of respondents believe that in case such romances end, the colleagues will not be able to work together (39%); others think that the end of romance will not influence workplace relations (36%). Introduction of workplace guidelines is one of the most disputable questions approved by 27% and disapproved by 29% of respondents.
Those who have ever experienced an office romance (or who knows that some of the colleagues have a love affair) perceive it positively, unlike the remainder. The former report that a workplace romance can even lead to marriage (52-54%), that love affairs can improve work environment and efficiency (37-55%); they are confident that a workplace romance does not hamper preserving good relations between colleagues (51-57%). Those who have an office affair, as well as those who witnessed a workplace romance, oppose the idea to ban office romances according to workplace guidelines: 47-66% of respondents negatively perceive this idea.
No gender differences were observed among respondents asked about office romances.
The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted February 4-5, 2011. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
Do you know, if some of your colleagues have (had) a workplace romance? (close-ended question, one answer, % of those who work) | |||||||||
Total | Qualified personnel | Non- qualified personnel | Workers without higher education diplomas | Specialists with higher education diplomas working in commercial sector | Specialists with higher education diplomas working in budget sector | Service- men, internal affairs bodies` workers | Business- men, entrepre- neurs | State and municipal workers | |
Yes, I have an office romance with a colleague | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 11 | 13 |
Yes, I personally know colleagues who have (had) workplace love affaires | 22 | 15 | 16 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 36 | 17 | 26 |
There might be colleagues who have office romances but I do not know about it | 28 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 39 | 29 | 43 | 34 | 9 |
No, there are no employees who have love affairs with colleagues | 47 | 56 | 60 | 47 | 35 | 44 | 21 | 37 | 52 |
Which of the statement about office romance do you most agree? (close-ended question, one answer per each pair of statements, % of the total respondents) | ||||||
Total respondents | Yes, I have an office romance with a colleague | Yes, I personally know colleagues who have (had) workplace love affaires | There might be colleagues who have office romances but I do not know about it | No, there are no employees who have love affairs with colleagues | Unemployed | |
Office roman tends to be short-term; it ends up with nothing serious | 46 | 43 | 43 | 51 | 48 | 43 |
Office romance can lead to something serious, for example, marriage | 37 | 52 | 54 | 38 | 32 | 31 |
Hard to tell | 17 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 26 |
Office romance can improve work environment and efficiency | 24 | 55 | 37 | 26 | 17 | 20 |
Office romance can only damage work environment and performance | 49 | 36 | 41 | 50 | 53 | 47 |
Hard to tell | 28 | 9 | 21 | 24 | 30 | 33 |
Romantic relation between colleagues is bad. People working together should not go beyond labor relations | 31 | 32 | 22 | 30 | 33 | 32 |
If a man and a woman have a strong feeling, it does not matter if they are colleagues or not. There is noting wrong about it. | 53 | 64 | 71 | 60 | 48 | 44 |
Hard to tell | 17 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 24 |
If a romance like this ends, the relations will be spoiled and they will not be able to work together | 39 | 36 | 35 | 42 | 41 | 39 |
Even if the office romance ends, the colleagues will go on working together | 36 | 57 | 51 | 34 | 34 | 31 |
Hard to tell | 25 | 7 | 15 | 24 | 25 | 31 |
If office romances are banned by workplace guidelines of my company, I will support this ban | 27 | 16 | 22 | 27 | 34 | 24 |
If office romances are banned by workplace guidelines of my company, I will oppose this ban | 29 | 66 | 47 | 31 | 22 | 22 |
Hard to tell | 44 | 18 | 31 | 42 | 44 | 54 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!