Workplace romances are not uncommon. According to the US Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), over 25% of employees have dated a coworker, with 18% developing feelings for a superior. However, behind these romantic narratives lies a harsh financial reality that few anticipate.
Research published in 10/2025 by Emily Nix, an associate professor at the Marshall School of Business (University of Southern California, US), revealed contrasting financial impacts for men and women involved in relationships with their bosses.
Surveying boss-employee couples in Finland, Nix found that during the "honeymoon" phase, female employees' incomes increased by an average 6% within two years (excluding regular raises). If men dated female bosses, the salary increase was double, though such cases were rarer.
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Illustrative photo: AI
This favoritism stems from managers tending to favor their partners in bonus reviews and promotions, or directly dedicating time to mentor them, thereby improving their work performance.
However, this financial "honeymoon" comes at a steep price. When the relationship ends, women suffer the greatest disadvantage. Female employees' incomes plummet by an average 18% in the first year after a breakup. The primary reason is that they often choose to resign to avoid awkwardness or due to unbearable workplace pressure. Notably, this consequence persists, leading to significantly lower salaries for at least 4 subsequent years.
Conversely, men are largely unaffected financially after a breakup, as they rarely resign from their positions.
Beyond individual risks, these power-imbalanced romances silently erode company culture. In smaller businesses, a boss dating an employee creates a sense of unfairness, causing the retention rate of other staff to decrease by 6%.
To address this issue, Associate Professor Nix suggests that companies establish "exclusion zones", completely removing managers from the salary and promotion decision-making processes for employees with whom they are romantically involved.
'Dating your boss is a two-edged sword. You might receive short-term benefits, but your competence and success will always be questioned by others,' Nix warned.
Nhat Minh (According to WSJ)
