On TV shows set in a workplace, the plot inevitably includes one or more romances between co-workers. Apparently, the same is true in real-life. According to research by Harris Poll for the annual CareerBuilder Valentine’s day study, 37 percent of workers have dated a co-worker, and 30 percent of those office romances have led to marriage.

Here are some of the other findings in the survey:

Top Four Places Office Romances Begin

According to Harris, among those who have had an office romance, these are the top four places the relationship began.

….12% Happy Hour
….11% Late night on the job
….11% Lunch
….10% Chance meeting outside of work

Workplace Dating Deal Breakers

When asked to name specific work-related traits that would make someone “undateable,” workers said:

….Won’t date someone who doesn’t work consistently (Women 52% Men 28%)
….Won’t date someone who has previously dated a co-worker (Women 29% Men 21%)
….Won’t date someone who earns less than them (Women 10% Men 2%)

Office Valentine’s Day Secrets

……9% Claim they fell for their workplace loves at first sight.
….36% Kept their office romance secret
….25% Ran into co-workers accidentally while on a date

Time for Updating the Office Manual

From the skating-on-thin-ice-department, the survey reveals statistics that could have a serious, negative impact on a small business.

….25% Dated someone in a higher position (including the boss)
….19% of the co-worker relations included one married worker
…..5% Left a job because an office romance went sour

The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from November to December of 2014, and included a representative sample of 3,056 full-time, private sector workers across industries and company sizes.

(Photo: ThinkStock)