In Early 2000, I traveled to Westminster, Colorado, with several members of Active’s senior management team. We were there for a tour of the company we recently acquired, LeagueLink.com, servicing Little Leagues and other team sports. Jon Belmonte, one of the LeagueLink.com’s quirky founders, assembled his staff of 40 in a conference room and introduced us to everyone.

After introductory comments, he then asked another: “How many people are related to someone else in this room?” The other half of the room raised their hands. This was a very, very tight-knit company, I thought.

As a self-professed workaholic, I see the basic logic in workplace romance, but I’ve also seen its downside. Cupid’s arrow can strike an emotional bull’s-eye or cause a gaping wound. Workplace romances aren’t a distraction so long as they bring with them harmony and remain positive. When they turn tumultuous, a lovers’ quarrel can affect the morale of entire divisions of companies. This is why people often frown upon workplace romances.

Then there’s sex. You can’t prohibit sex from consenting partners who are colleagues, (will we ever see a new hit television series called “Desperate Wives in Business Development”?) Think about it. Being in close proximity with the opposite sex eight hours a day is probably more time than one will spend with one’s spouse. There’s even a term for female assistants to male bosses; they’re called “work wives.”