Fun Fact: Half the people who responded to a survey put out by CareerBuilder.com admitted to dating a co-worker.

Yes, dating co-workers just makes sense. There’s no need to write a winning profile or speed from table to table; all you have to do is throw a stapler and—pow—you’ve found someone. But not just anyone. Someone you know and feel comfortable with, someone responsible enough to hold down a job, someone you might even have something in common with, even if it is just mutual hatred of the boss.

• Share a dating-at-the-office story (Was it a dream or a nightmare?)

Having someone to commiserate with is just one of the boons of dating a co-worker. It’s also damned convenient. And motivating. Who minds putting in the OT when the person you’re putting it in (with) is right there by your side? Raging hormones have inspired more than one brilliant performance. And then there’s the possibility of getting lucky at lunch (according to a Lavalife.com survey, 31 percent of us do).

Fun Fact: According to a survey by Vault.com, 4 out of 10 workplace relationships result in marriage.

But mixing business and pleasure can be tricky. It can bring our professionalism into question. Turn staff meetings into slow torture. And leave us open to all kinds of career nightmares. Love spats in front of the boss. Naughty emails posted on the intranet. Underpants arriving via interoffice mail. And desire among the cubicles is no picnic for management either. There are productivity issues, concerns over favoritism. Not to mention all those strange noises emanating from the supply closet. And, of course, there’s the ugliest specter of all—the dreaded sexual harassment lawsuit. To protect themselves, some companies ask dating co-workers to sign “love contracts,” releasing the employer from any responsibility if and when things go awry. Others post “no dating” policies, which only serve to make an office romance—even with that hideous Scott from Accounting—all the more attractive.

• If you're currently in an office relationship--or thinking about starting one, visit here first.