How to keep your affairs private around the PR office

 27th March 2013    PR Guru 

Who said that it is important to never mix business with pleasure? Well, whoever it was, they were clearly living in denial, as everyone completely ignores this advice. For instance, how many affairs are there going on in your office right now?

If you work alone, this is a silly question, although I guess it isn’t unheard of for PR people to be madly in love with themselves!

If you do work in a normal office (if there is such a thing), then there is probably at least one ‘secret’ dalliance going on. And as Holi parties usually spark off bad behaviour, there is bound to be some more intrigue coming up soon.

Now, I don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, but watching love blossom in the office is nauseating. Those involved always think they are being discreet, but everyone knows. The good thing is that it does provide something to gossip about. But should you really want to keep your private affairs private, here are some tips:

1. Don’t think the way you ‘casually’ greet each other fools anyone. Drawing into an immediate huddle as you soon as you ‘casually’ say hello doesn’t help.

2. Don’t be the last two left in the office. It is suspicious to suddenly be so keen to work late after previously having been a slacker.

3. It isn’t clever to email your loved one at work. Not only will the office administrator read the email, you may accidentally send it to the wrong person. It has happened many times.

4. Taking too much care to avoid the object of your affection, and never speaking to them, or mentioning them in your conversation is unnatural behaviour. It will make the rest of the office draw the obvious conclusion …

5. Mind you, the opposite behaviour, being all over your love-object, is even worse. And it’s obviously a bit of a give away that an affair has begun.p>

Secret office affairs are annoying, but even worse are those that have gone public. Suddenly the pair involved thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to look madly in love in the office. Don’t they realise that offices are supposed to be places of torture, not joy? Just put it away!