THE office affair is dead in Bradford - killed off by the Covid crisis and HR managers banning romances between staff, according to a new survey Just five per cent of men and seven per cent of women in the city would consider dating a colleague in future.

The vast majority of men (86%) and 79% of women said they fear their career would be damaged if they started dating a colleague - even someone on the same level as them.

More than half of men (56%) and 58% of women HAVE dated a work colleague in the past but only 2% of employees of either sex have done it in the last year.

The figures are from a new survey of 2,000 people by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading affairs site.

It found that a fifth of men (21%) and 24% of women have had sex with a colleague in a work situation - either in the office or at or after a works party.

Almost all men (91%) and 85% of women say they work with someone they are attracted to, even if they are married.

But similar numbers of both sexes - 81% of men and 74% of women - said they have been put off from seeking new relationships at work due to HR policies discouraging or banning work romances.

The most likely place for a work-place romance to start is the office Christmas party - 36% of men and 35% of women had got intimate with a colleague at such a celebration.

A fifth of men (21%) and 22% of women had scored with a colleague at a work outing outside of Christmas.

Other popular spots for workplace romances included the pub after work (19% of men and 22% of women had picked up a colleague there) and office sports facilities (8% of men and 6% of women).

But Covid has destroyed all opportunities for workplace romances in the last year with less than 10% of workplaces running as they were before the pandemic.

Only 12% of staff expect to attend an office Christmas party this year.

Jessica Leoni, IllicitEncounters.com sex and relationship expert, said: “It’s official - the office affair is dead.

“It was already on its last legs before the Covid crisis as HR departments imposed increasingly tough rules on workplace romances.

“People were scared to go to bed with a colleague before Covid because they feared they would be fired.

“After Covid, that fear factor went up even more because of the risk of the infection and it was impossible to meet anyone anyway because so many of us were working from home.

“Most people have realised that sleeping with a workmate is just not worth the hassle and they are looking at less problematic ways to meet new partners such as dating sites like IllicitEncounters.com.”