a) Dating in the workplace – Met my 2nd husband at work. Did not work in the same dept so it was OK. Tried to keep it hush-hush but, that kind of gossip just spread like wildfire.
b)Hiring Friends. Actually, I was the hired friend. There was some loyalty there but, then my friend conducted/presented herself in compromising ways (she had an affair with a co-worker while married with 4 kids). Did not feel too comfortable and questioned her leadership skills – so I became an ex-friend.
c) Customers that are friends. I guess if both parties know where the line is, both sides of the relationship can flourish. It’s when one or both parties start assuming that they can step over the boundary that’s where the problems start.
d) Business partners that are friends. You need to have trust in each other in order to become business partners. Like a marriage – it’s a joint venture where there should be respect for each other. There is a common goal that is understood between bother parties. When mistrust is present, usually means to end the partnership.

Where you really shy back then – you would never know that now!

@echo – thanks again for your thoughtful response…..so if a company were to find out people were dating, they would be fired from company, or what?

as for business and friends, this is still not clear…I mean – customers become friends and friends become customers. So during “customer relations”, to keep the business relationship good, is that considered friends or business.

Anyway, thats is what budgets are for…