Think of a busy senior living community in the time of the coronavirus and “office romance” may not be the first thought to come to your mind. At workplaces in general, however, romance is in the air. In fact, it increased during the pandemic and has remained steady over the past year, according to the results of a new survey from the Society for Human Resource Management.
Released in time for Valentine’s Day, the survey, which was not limited to any one industry, found that 33% of responding U.S. workers said that they currently are involved or have been involved in a workplace romance. That’s 6% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the level was 27%.
SHRM president and CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. stressed the importance of employers having workplace romance policies “to prevent harmful situations should relationships go awry.” Seventy-seven percent of responding U.S. workers in the survey said that their employers don’t require them to disclose a workplace romance. So if your company or community doesn’t have such a policy, you’ll want to put that on your to-do list.
Of course, in senior living, romantic relationships aren’t limited to staff members.
In fact, Five Star Senior Living recently shared dating advice from three couples of residents. Secrets to their success, they said, include participating in activities, being open to new experiences, maintaining independence, taking risks and enjoying the moment.
And residents of StoneCreek of Edmond, a Civitas Senior Living assisted living and memory care community in Oklahoma, recently shared “love advice” such as “be nice,” “dance together,” “eat together” and “shop around.” The Arbor Company is another operator sharing how older adults can find romance at a senior living community.
Sadly, love can have a dark side at any age. Any person, including senior living employees and residents, can be at risk of romance scams perpetrated by individuals looking to separate them from their money. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently shared resources to help ensure that such scams aren’t successful.
And employees and residents looking for love will be more successful armed with advice from the SHRM, the CFPB, senior living operators and residents, and other trusted sources.
Lois A. Bowers is the editor of McKnight’s Senior Living.
