Most Awkward Office Discussion: Relationships

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- Most workers have no problem discussing their careers or even their salaries with a boss, but when it comes to talking about romantic relationships, things get awkward.

Nearly a quarter of employees rated discussing a relationship with a significant other as the single most uncomfortable conversation topic to have with a boss, according to surveys of more than 800 employed Americans conducted by Adecco, a staffing firm. The touchy subject beat out discussions about politics, religion and even medical history as the most uncomfortable thing to talk to a supervisor about.

If you feel uncomfortable discussing romantic relationships with your boss, don't worry, you're not alone.

By comparison, 16% of those surveyed said talking about political beliefs with their manager would be the most uncomfortable topic, and only one in 10 employees said discussing religion or their medical history would be the most uncomfortable.

Discussing matters such as politics, religion and physical appearance in the workplace has long been considered a taboo that could come back to haunt you, but as the survey shows, none of these topics are as sensitive to employees as mentioning a significant other in the presence of their boss.

Indeed, the survey also found that nearly half of employees would feel awkward about going on a double date with their boss compared with just a quarter who would feel awkward about drinks with their boss one-on-one.

Even after employees leave the workplace, they seem intent on preserving the boundary between their personal lives and their former bosses. When asked, 70% of those surveyed said they were not connected to any of their ex-bosses on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

While this might make sense for an employee who is eager to stop a superior from finding out intimate details of his or her life, staying connected to former employers online and offline could prove to be a valuable way to network. Besides, anyone who is nervous about revealing personal details to a boss can simply connect with them on LinkedIn. How often does anyone discuss their significant other on that site?

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