Can't keep love out of the office.

• Author: Cada, Chryss
• Position: WORKPLACE - Brief article

Even before they first kissed, Nikki Alexander and Marc Harpster had "the talk" about how they would handle it if their office romance didn't work out.

"We had a lot of respect for each other, and we agreed we would continue to treat each other with respect no matter what happened between us personally," said Alexander, who met Harpster at the Denver-based eCollege.

But they never had to put their agreement into effect. The couple is now married and has a 1-year-old daughter.

As people spend more and more time at the office, an increasing number of them are finding romance at work. About half of U.S. employees have dated someone from the office, leaving employers seeking ways to balance personal and work lives in an era when they are becoming increasingly mixed.

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"Courtship has moved into the workplace," said Helaine Olen, who...