Are you dating your colleague? You can't miss these rules!

According to a survey of roughly 2,000 people conducted by Mic, the third-most common way people find romantic attachments is through work. Another survey conducted by CareerBuilder revealed that at least a quarter of all working professionals have confessed to dating a colleague in the past.

Considering more and more of us are spending most of our times in the office, crushing on someone soon becomes inevitable.

While your company may not be too keen on employees dating for obvious reasons, if done right you may land your soulmate and still have your career intact.

But be warned. The line between a creep and a boyfriend is a thin one and that is the last thing you need in the corporate world. Here are rules you should adhere to when dating a work mate. ESTHER MUCHENE

Before you start sowing your wild oats, you need to confirm whether your company condones office romance or if it is banned. Refer to your employee handbook or consult your HR manager. Don’t start something you can’t finish.

Just because someone is friendly, winks at you and laughs at your silly jokes during tea break does not mean they are single and available. Do your due diligence and find out whether they are available. A ring is a good indicator one is off limits and photos on the desk could be a clue they are not single. Find out before you start getting your hopes up.

You will be labelled as creepy when you go around asking people about a colleague so take it easy. Once you have identified your target get to know them personally. Start with simple ‘hellos’ and asking about their day. Build on that friendship. You need to come pretty far in the platonic part of the relationship before it turns romantic.

Just because he or she told you they are single don’t be too sure you mean the same thing. It could be single but not divorced or married but single. Define what single means to you and make sure you’re on the same page. It’s important to clear the air right off the bat to avoid a blow-up that could negatively impact your work life later.

Before you make a move consider whether the whole situation is worth making things slightly uncomfortable for you. In an ideal world, everything would work out and you would live happily ever after. In the real world you will you have to see this person every single day and act professional doing it despite a break up, fallout or fling that left you damaged.

The excitement of a new relationship cannot be underestimated, but this does not mean showing everyone around you’re an item. Practice restraint. Jumping in too quickly both physically and emotionally can be a recipe for a messy office breakup. So just as you shouldn’t start the relationship by heading to the bedroom, you also shouldn't get ahead of yourself planning your retirement together.