THE 3 o’clock marketing meeting is looming, and you’ve just left the kitchen after a seriously unprofessional flirtation session with your flame from Accounting.
You think you played it off pretty cool. No one will notice – or will they?
They will, because of one simple reason: They’re bored.
And you’re providing them with some excellent fodder for the office gossip mill. But don’t fret. You’re not the only one.
New Yorkers lead busy lives. Given that, work can seem like a great place to meet the person of your dreams.
“It’s convenient to date someone I work with, because I’m always at work,” says Maria Downey, a 24-year-old sales associate.
“I worked with my last boyfriend, and it was great to see him all the time.”
A workday with your sweetie sounds great, but what happens when the relationship goes sour?
“When he broke up with me, I was destroyed. I couldn’t stand seeing him with other women, so much that I verbally assaulted him once,” Downey admits.
“I became known as ‘stalker girl’ at work. It was a big mess!”
According to Matthew Donovan, a 26-year-old traffic analyst, it could get even messier.
“I was dating a co-worker at my job for a couple of months, and everything was great.”
That is, until – there always seems to be an “until” – he got promoted to group manager and had to fire her.
“I had to let go the person bringing in the weakest numbers, and that was her. I had no choice.”
No surprise that when she lost a job, he lost a girlfriend.
“I’ve learned that it’s a very bad idea to date someone you work with. You can never win.”
So when is it OK to mix work and play?
According to John Putzier, career expert and author of “Get Weird!” it’s only OK if it doesn’t affect your work performance.
“I don’t think it’s realistic to forbid workplace dating. But if it happens, discretion is essential,” he says.
“If it ends badly, it’s not a pretty sight, but it can’t affect co-workers or business. It’s purely personal.”
That said, there are certainly cases of co-workers who share a groovy kind of love. Take Tracy Howard, 31.
“I met my husband at my first job after college,” says Howard, who works in television production.
“We dated and worked together for years before we found separate jobs. And now, nine years later, we’re back working together and we’re married.”
So how do they do it?
“We keep home issues at home and work issues at work,” she says. “So far, so good.”
Sounds like a good rule for a healthy relationship.
Just ask Wendy Kaufman, president of national executive training firm Balancing Life’s Issues.
“We work on-site at different corporations, and questions about workplace dating always come up,” she says. Kaufman developed specific rules to abide by – her famous do’s and don’ts. “Don’t display affection in public,” she says.
Public affection can be offensive, especially at work. Avoid the loveydovey handholding and seemingly subtle winks.
Work at work – and play later.
And when it comes to eating during office hours, take a hike – literally.
“Don’t eat lunch together locally,” says Kaufman. “Every business has a favorite restaurant around the corner, so walk the extra block.”
It’s inappropriate for co-workers to witness lovebirds sharing a bowl of spaghetti – a la “Lady and the Tramp.”
Kaufman’s final piece of advice is simple. “Don’t date for sex,” she says.
Unless he has potential, don’t jeopardize your career. Some quarters are just too close.
The bottom line? Don’t date a subordinate, go crazy or publicly make out. You can have fun – as long as you play it safe.
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JUST ASKING
WORKIN’ 9 to 5 – what a way to make a living. Only, does anyone actually work those hours anymore? Let us know.
* Are you kidding me? My schedule is more like 7 to . . . whenever. 9 to 5 sounds like a glorious dream.
* It depends. Sometimes I have to stay late to put in time, so that everyone else in the office can see I’m staying late. Other nights, I’m able to leave at a regular time.
* Remember how Fred would yell “Yabba Dabba Doo!” every day? That’s me, out the door at 5:30 on the dot.
What’s your vote? Go to nypost.com/atwork and tell us.