RTO romance: As Gen Z redefines workplace dating, the role of chaperone falls to HR
While management pores over productivity metrics and eyeballs the results of RTO mandates, Gen Z is focused on a different matter altogether now that they’re back in the office: their love lives.
According to research from writing platform EduBirdie, 1 in 3 Gen Z workers believes RTO mandates could improve their chances of finding love. That represents a fundamental shift in how younger professionals approach workplace relationships, and it’s something HR managers concerned about blurred boundaries may want to be on alert for.
The data reveals a generation increasingly disillusioned with digital dating. A reported 79% of Gen Z workers say they’re burned out on dating apps, citing superficial interactions and the emotional toll they create. “Gen Z are craving authenticity in a world of curated profiles and endless swipes,” says Avery Morgan, chief HR officer at EduBirdie. “They report dating app burnout and want a connection that’s more than a photo and a prompt. The office offers a chance to see someone in real life: shared commutes, lunch breaks and spontaneous conversations over Slack.”
Digital dating fatigue is driving younger generations back to more traditional meeting grounds, with most of Gen Z making love connections at school, through friends or in social settings.
And then, there’s the workplace. According to EduBirdie, 21% of the generation has applied for a job specifically hoping to meet someone special, while 15% choose an industry or company based on the kind of people in attracts.
Those figures align with broader workplace relationship trends. More than one-third of workers have a “work spouse,” a coworker or business associate with whom they share a close, platonic relationship, according to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). But more than 2 in 5 report having romantic feelings for their work spouse.
The data shows clear generational differences in attitudes toward office relationships. Millennial and Gen Z workers are significantly more likely to say they would be open to workplace love than Gen X and boomers.
Nearly 60% of millennials and half of Gen Z say work romance has become more accepted, compared with just 25% of boomers. And Gen Z is also more transparent about such relationships, with nearly half disclosing their workplace romance to a manager, 30% immediately and 17% over time.
Notably, the research suggests workplace romance might benefit employers. The EduBirdie study found that 2 in 5 Gen Z workers believe having a partner at work would improve their motivation and performance. That aligns with SHRM’s findings that most workers currently in a workplace relationship say it has a positive impact on their professional lives, impacting their overall mood at work (85%), motivation at work (83%), sense of belonging at work (83%), commitment to their organization (81%) and work/life balance (80%).
Despite their openness to love in the workplace, Gen Z workers remain pragmatic about the risks. The EduBirdie study found that 1 in 5 workers worries about becoming the next hot topic on Slack, while 14% keep their relationships under wraps to avoid having to deal with HR because of it. According to SHRM, soured workplace romances may lead to issues for HR departments and everything from accusations of poor judgment and lost productivity to ethical breaches, favoritism and harassment.
To be sure, the convergence of RTO mandates, dating app fatigue and Gen Z’s comfort with workplace hookups creates challenges for HR. About half of employees say their organization lacks a specific policy around work relationships, while 41% are unaware of any policy against them.
It should be noted that while Gen Z may be comfortable with peer-to-peer relationships, more than 2 in 5 see romances between coworkers at different levels of the company hierarchy as unacceptable.
Among recommendations for HR leaders:
Update your policies. Ensure workplace romance policies are current, clearly communicated and accessible to all employees.
Focus on consent and professionalism. Rather than blanket prohibitions, emphasize consensual relationships and professional behavior standards.
Address power imbalance. Maintain strict policies regarding relationships between supervisors and direct reports.
Provide guidance. Most employees think their companies should provide guidelines on workplace romance, per SHRM.
Monitor workplace culture. Heads up: Half of workers have engaged in flirting with a colleague while 60% have dated a colleague.
HR may be better served confronting office love head-on versus ignoring it. As Morgan puts it, “Boundaries matter and supervisor-report relationships should be off-limits, but we have to admit that the office has become one of the last places where connections can spark organically.”