“The shock of the economy is no longer there,” noted Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, career services expert at Vault.com.  “Work is still the main way to meet decent people, and when you are working longer hours, it may be the only way to meet people.  But if you decide to enter an office relationship, you have to use common sense and make sure your romance doesn’t get in the way of your work.”

Vault’s Office Romance Survey was conducted in January 2010 and consists of responses from 1050 employees representing various industries across the United States, split almost equally among gender and age lines, although slightly skewed toward 25-30 year olds.

“One night after a night on the town, we stopped at the office to pick up something. We ended up on his desk. It was one of the hottest nights in our relationship,” said one respondent.  Another stated, “Many years ago, I actually walked into a break room -- and found two people ’doing it’ on the lunch room table!”

But not all respondents believe an office romance is for them.  Almost 40% of those surveyed said they have avoided or curtailed a potential romance that they would have otherwise pursued specifically to avoid an office romance.

“I thought about entering into an office romance; however, due to the fact that we were very close together and share an office, I realized it could get awkward later,” said one respondent.  Another answered, “A failed relationship can make work a very unpleasant place to be for a very long time.  Having had one of those experiences, I am careful to avoid romance in the office.”

Other survey results include: