You caught a glimpse of it in Life in a Metro, but a recent survey throws into stark relief the transforming social milieu of urban India. The survey, entitled ?Romance at the Workplace?, found that more than a third of corporate executives see no harm in having an affair with a married colleague.
The survey, conducted for staffing company TeamLease Services by research firm Synovate among 402 executives across 500 companies based in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Chandigarh and Hyderabad, found that around 44% of respondents saw romantic liaisons as the quickest way to climb the corporate ladder.
Nearly 16% of respondents admitted to having been romantically involved with someone at their workplace. Of all cities surveyed, Delhi emerged the most candid, with 28% conceding to such affairs.
But despite the fact that 56% of executives felt that there was a negative impact on the quality and speed of work as a result of their relationships, most respondents believed that their organisations had no right to interfere in their personal affairs. The respondents also felt that women were equal partners to office romances and even initiated affairs, the survey pointed out.
Long working hours spent in close proximity, among other factors, has been cited as the major factor in this emerging sociological trend. ?Understanding the changing view of romance in India’s new world of work is emerging as a complex challenge for companies. This involves ethical, moral and productivity issues that need to be nuanced for context, cohort and values,? said TeamLease general manager Surabhi Mathur.
This perception study was the first in a series commissioned by TeamLease to comprehend the new and rapidly changing world of work.
