EbonyLife TV’s procedural legal drama series “Castle & Castle” has hugely succeeded. Starting from 2018, when it premiered, it has grown in impact and acceptance as an exclusive Netflix commissioned project. The series parades a list of some of the finest Nollywood actors like Richard Mofe Damijo, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Eku Edewor, Ade Laoye, Daniel Etim Effiong, Patrick Doyle and many appearances by A-Rated Comedians. My son finds Kevin Ushi, who played Mr Monday as his best actor in the film. I, however, think I liked the performance of Bimbo Manuel (Playing as Remi Castles Father), Tega Castle and Doshima as my favourites.
“Castle & Castle” is about Remi and Tega Castle, both married lawyers who run a legal practice together. The film is about their lives, family, business, staff, and contrasting ideas and clientele. The opposite nature of both partners’ views of the law reflects how different people view the law. Professor Castle sees the law as an instrument of change and a tool for pursuing justice. At the same time, Mrs Castle is more interested in getting the most prominent clients, including corporates, once the money is right. This contrasting style between this couple strains both the marriage and the business. First, this led to the suspension of Professor and then, husband and wife appeared in court against each other.
While this is a drama around law practice, one theme that runs throughout this film is the place of workplace romance. It seems everyone in the movie was involved.
- Tega Castle (Richard Mofe-Damijo) has one of the staff Morenike Athol-Williams (Ade Laoye), crushing on him.
- Remi Castle ((Dakore Egbuson-Akande) was having extramarital affairs with one of her staff Mike Amenechi (Daniel Etim Effiong)
- Nneka (Eku Edewor) and Malik Mustapha (Blossom Chukwujekwu) are colleagues that started to catch feelings and even had a kiss.
- Kwabena Mills (Deyemi Okanlawon) was supposed to mentor Doshima (Dorcas Shola Fapson), but he started to sleep with her.
- Captain (Jude Chukwuma), who is the company driver, was interested in Stella (Anee Icha),
Are workplace relationships this prominent?
According to a 2003 survey by Vault.com, an online career center, 47 percent of the 1,000 professionals surveyed had been involved in an office romance, and another 19 percent would consider it. Of those individuals who had a romance, 11 percent had dated their bosses or another superior. Twenty percent of those who had an office romance admitted to having a physical affair in the office. In addition, the Job Search platform Comparably found out that 34 percent of men and 35 percent of women have dated a co-worker.
In 2020, findings released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) showed that slightly more than half of the survey respondents admit to having had romantic feelings for a co-worker, and nearly one-fourth have asked a colleague out.
The other findings from the survey include:
- Of the people who’d dated someone at work, 76 percent have dated a peer, 27 percent have dated a superior, and 21 percent have dated a subordinate.
- 27 percent are in or have been in a workplace romance. 19 percent have a “work spouse,” a co-worker who seems almost like a marriage partner. Slightly more than half of the respondents with work spouses admitted they have romantic feelings for their workplace better halves.
In 2003, I witnessed the first workplace romance in my working life. A colleague was making passes to a junior colleague. At the same time, another colleague suddenly resigned. We later learnt it was because a very senior staff made a pass at her.
The reality is that when people with common interests have to stay together for a minimum of 40-plus hours per week, there is a likelihood of growing interest between them and the potential for office romance. The chance increases when travels, social events or eating together in the office canteen is involved.
This February 2022, CNN President Jeff Zucker resigned because he failed to make a required disclosure about a consensual relationship with a colleague. Zucker stepped down on Feb. 2, 2022, acknowledging in a statement that he was “required to disclose” the relationship but didn’t. “I was wrong,” he said.
What is also good is the number of workplace relationships that grow into marriage. In these cases, singles meet in the workplace, develop a good relationship, and then marry. For example, my son, who loves the WWE, told me about the number of couples in WWE. He mentioned couples like Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar and Sable, Edge and Beth Phoenix, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, The Undertaker and Michelle McCool, Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella, The Miz and Maryse, Andrade and Charlotte Flair, and Naomi and Jimmy Uso.
The more problematic relationships are those where married people are involved or between bosses and subordinates. So I think we all need to be aware of the possibility of workplace romance. This is much more important as February 14th or Valentines’s day is almost here; we need to exercise a whole lot of caution.
Most workplace romances with married people end badly. Beyond being a violation of marital vows, it also leads to abuse, loss of trust, Violence and potential workplace sanctions. As tempting as workplace romance could be, I believe it is not worth the risk. Therefore all married people should have a sense of vulnerability and become more alert. It is safe and wise for married people in the workplace to have safeguards against office romance.
What are the precautions that have helped you to avoid workplace romance? Please share your thoughts.
Culled from Medium as written by Abayomi Fawehinmi
