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| Getty Images; Alyssa Powell |
For years, dating apps promised to make meeting new people easier. But for many young singles, endless swiping, awkward first dates, and mismatched expectations have turned the experience into more of a chore than an adventure. Now, as workers return to in-person offices, a new trend is emerging: Gen Z and younger millennials are finding love — or at least a crush — in the cubicle next door.
Take 32-year-old Caelan Hughes, who spent eight years navigating New York City’s dating scene and describes it as “a nightmare.” She eventually moved back home to Hawaii in 2022 for a job at a local news station. At first, she wasn’t thrilled about trading the comfort of remote work for commuting and cubicles. But that changed at her first company Christmas party, where she met her now-partner, Jensen Wong. Over the following months, their friendship grew naturally, with small daily interactions deepening their connection. They thought they were keeping things discreet until a coworker caught Wong lingering at Hughes’s desk, smiling in a way that looked straight out of a “Jim and Pam” scene from The Office. That candid moment, shared via text, became the spark that confirmed what they both already knew. “The difference was astronomical,” Hughes says, comparing the slow-burn office romance to the instant high-pressure stakes of dating apps.
Workplaces as the New Singles Scene
As people filter back into offices, they’re bringing their romantic lives along with them. Hooking up with coworkers has long carried a hint of taboo, but data shows it’s far from rare. A 2024 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that half of all workers have been involved in an office romance at some point. Another survey from résumé-writing company Resume Builder revealed that nearly a third of employees aged 18 to 44 began a workplace relationship after being required to return to the office at least once a week.
The reasons are easy to see: long hours spent side by side, shared deadlines and frustrations, after-work happy hours, and the unique camaraderie that comes from working toward common goals. Popular culture has romanticized the idea for decades — from sitcoms like Parks and Recreation to thrillers like Severance, and even in the 2025 Hallmark movie Return to Office, where finding love a few desks away is presented as a charming inevitability.
While there are risks — distractions, gossip, and potential fallout if things go sour — many younger workers seem unfazed. In fact, a majority of managers surveyed by SHRM said office romances can have positive effects, boosting morale and encouraging people to put their best foot forward. That optimism marks a shift from older generations, who often saw workplace romance as something to avoid.
The Taboo Is Fading
For Gen Z and younger millennials, the lines between personal and professional life are more flexible. Nearly 60% of millennials and 49% of Gen Z workers say office romance is more accepted now, compared to just 25% of Baby Boomers, according to SHRM’s findings. Companies themselves seem less rigid — only 5% of HR professionals surveyed said their organizations have strict anti-romance policies. Nearly 30% said they have no policies at all or are still developing them, while the rest handle relationships on a case-by-case basis or allow them with clear boundaries in place.
Ragan Decker, SHRM’s manager of commercial research, says this reflects a cultural shift. “We shouldn’t be afraid of workplace romances,” she explains, “as long as we’re prepared with the right policies and communication in place to proactively manage them.”
The shift is partly explained by what social psychologists call the “proximity principle”: the more we see and interact with someone, the more likely we are to develop an attraction. Unlike dating apps, which hinge on immediate physical attraction to strangers, office romances often build over time, fueled by familiarity and shared context.
When the Proximity Principle Backfires
Cassie Richardson, 32, who works in retail in Tennessee, has experienced the downsides firsthand. Over the years, she’s had several workplace crushes and one that turned into a situationship. As her feelings deepened, she realized that outside of work, she probably wouldn’t have been interested in that person at all. The breakup was awkward, and she now says she wouldn’t mix work and love again. Still, she admits she understands the appeal: “After working eight hours a day for 40 hours a week, it can be exhausting to go out and meet new people,” she says.
Interestingly, workplace chemistry isn’t limited to in-person settings. A 2025 survey by résumé site Zety found that 62% of workers have sent a flirty message via Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email. For software developer Isabel Amat, her romance started on Zoom during her first job in 2021. She noticed a cute coworker during virtual meetings, but it wasn’t until they started going into the office that their connection deepened. One evening, after coworkers bailed on happy hour, the two stayed for five hours talking — enough for the restaurant manager to bring them a complimentary round, convinced they were already a couple. The joke turned into reality, and four years later, they’re still together.
The Risks and Rewards
For every happily-ever-after like Hughes’s or Amat’s, there are stories of unrequited crushes, breakups that make the workplace tense, and HR headaches. But for many, the gamble is worth it. Gen Z, in particular, appears unfazed by the potential complications — perhaps because they’ve entered the workforce during a time when personal and professional boundaries are already more fluid.
As more people look for love outside the constraints of dating apps, offices may increasingly serve as unexpected matchmakers. For some, a bad morning commute could turn into the best meet-cute of their lives. Whether that ends in a long-term partnership or an awkward post-breakup silence in the break room depends on the people involved — and how carefully they navigate the fine line between career and romance.
