It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air—and in the office.

Attitudes toward dating co-workers are changing, The Washington Post reported, citing a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey on workplace romance. One-third of younger millennial and Generation Z workers would be open to a workplace romance, compared with 15 percent of older millennial workers, 27 percent of Generation X workers and 23 percent of baby boomers and traditionalists, the survey found.

Overall, 75 percent of all workers are comfortable with people at their workplace being involved in a romantic relationship, and 83 percent respect or would respect those who are in one. The same percentage—75— were not open to being involved in a workplace romance themselves, and 40 percent still believed workplace romances to be unprofessional.

The Post reported an uptick in workplace romances in August 2021, a year and a half into the pandemic.

“The hybrid world will have enhanced office romances,” Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology at the University of Manchester, told the Post. “It’s easier to form a relationship when you’re not in the office five days a week. You don’t have everybody looking at you.”

A SHRM spokesperson agreed.

"With many employees working in office and hybrid and remote arrangements, it is no surprise that employees find connection," Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., the organization’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

The survey also found that 71 percent of U.S. workers say their employer does not require employees to disclose if they are involved in a workplace romance. Among U.S. workers who are currently involved in a workplace romance or have been before, 40 percent have disclosed their relationship to their colleagues, and only 18 percent to their employer.

While workplace relationships have become more common and companies have become more realistic about them,  policies need to be in place to protect the company if the relationship gets complicated, Di Ann Sanchez, founder of DAS HR Consulting, told the Post.

"The average person will spend about 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime,” said Taylor. “It's key to encourage transparency and professionalism while providing information on what is acceptable and unacceptable conduct, including instructions on when relationships need to be reported and to whom, especially if the relationship poses a conflict of interest.”  The Post noted that most organizations have policies barring managers from relationships with people who report to them, because of the power differential.

High-profile workplace relationships still make news. T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach of Good Morning America 3 (GMA3) were forced out of ABC News when their relationship become public last year. Jeff Zucker resigned from CNN in February 2022 after not disclosing a consensual relationship with a colleague. Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook with lying about the reasons for his 2019 termination, which included “undisclosed, improper relationships with … McDonald’s employees.”

One expert advised employees to be up front about any workplace relationships that they may have.

“Anybody who thinks that you can hide things from everyone is kind of delusional,” Phyllis Hartman, president of PGHR Consulting, told the Post. “The grapevine at work is much more efficient than official communication.”