Employee develops crush on boss, gets fired for not acting on it: 'I just wanted to do the right thing'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Aug 25, 2026 12:00 PM EDT

Does romance ever have a place in the office?

The workplace has started many a love story, but that doesn't mean that all of them are good ones. When it comes to our professional life, developing relationships that are anything other than platonic and focused on the job comes with a lot of risks. If a relationship ends up not working out, then perhaps a career trajectory won't, either. 

This is not to say that it is always a bad idea to date somebody who you have met through work, but it is definitely something to be approached with caution. We all know that relationships outside of the workplace can be explosive when they do not go well, and mixing in office politics can only make that worse.

From this perspective, getting romantic with a coworker is probably best avoided. If things go well, it could be the start of something much more enduring than a career, but if they don't, there are all kinds of problems that could happen. Blending these two areas of life together requires a lot of care that, quite often, those who pursue relationships through work are not interested in exercising.

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  • A male supervisor standing over a female employee working on a laptop.
    via Unsplash+ Community (Unsplash+)

    A male supervisor standing over a female employee working on a laptop. Individual pictured is a model used for illustrative purposes.


     

  • A woman discovered that she was attracted to her supervisor after starting a new job, and the attraction turned out to be mutual. However, they both agreed that it was better not to pursue this.

    Despite this agreement, her boss acted in a way that suggested he was still interested and jealous when she got attention from other men. This ended with her being fired by him.

  • Got fired because I turned down my supervisor

    I started this job only three months ago. I (F30) had a really strong attraction towards my coworker/supervisor (M31). To my surprise he felt the same way. But he indirectly told me that he wanted to keep things professional before anything more happened. Even though that kinda hurt, this was to be expected, so I started being more distant but friendly.
    via jakoparena
  • Somehow he didn't like that at all. He tried to get close to me again but I kept my distance. And then he started getting overly jealous whenever I talked to male colleagues. Even greetting them made him get mad. I said a 20year old (!!) minijober goodbye and he slammed a folder into a shelf. So I realized that he was a complete red flag, who was just super controlling and insecure. One more reason to not get close.
    via jakoparena

  • What the supervisor said and how he acted seemed to be different things.

    He tried a lot of things to get my attention but I knew it wouldn't work out bc of his jealousy issue. He indirectly told me to write him a message if there was chance of us getting together. I didn't message him. He looked like a kicked puppy the next day and of course I felt bad...I still liked him after all.
    via jakoparena
  • The same week he fired me and I'm just so upset that I just wanted to do the right thing and this immature ^#@& had to step that low. This is so upsetting!! He didn't give me any feedback to some of my work so he could use it as a reason to fire me
    via jakoparena
  • Cheezburger Image 10658579712
    via Unsplash Community (Unsplash+)

    Close-up of a male supervisor standing over a female employee as she works on a laptop. Picture does not depict real parties.

  • What had happened was for the best.

    JohnSextro You may not feel it right now, but you're better off not working there
    via JohnSextro
  • Sure-Coffee-8241 This is quite a lawsuit you've got if you can substantiate your claims.
    via Sure-Coffee-8241
  • Calgary_Calico Sounds like you dodged a bullet to me. This man was a terrible supervisor and would have made an even worse boyfriend. As much as it s ks to lose a job, it's best to move on. And next time you get a crush on a coworker or supervisor, don't say a word about it, keep it professional.
    via Calgary_Calico

  • It was a situation where it was better not to act.

    Rstar2247 Textbook example of why you don't mess around with your coworkers. It creates drama you don't need in your life and can put your job at risk.
    via Rstrar2247
  • SuperBarracuda3513 Don't fish off the company dock
    via SuperBarracuda3513
  • TwinsiesBlue Do not get involved with coworkers. Coworkers aren't your friends
    via TwinsiesBlue

  • She was put in a difficult situation.

    Substantial_Maybe371 Dude what is up with all these comments blaming you? This man told you that you both shouldn't do anything. You listened, respected that answer and backed off. Then he started behaving like an immature child making it a hostile work environment. Seriously, he
    via Substantial_Maybe371
  • got jealous when you were speaking to other male coworkers. As if you're not allowed to speak to other men in front of him. Even though he is only your supervisor. If you were under probation it sks, but this sounds like a wrongful termination suit.
    via Substantial_Maybe371
  • The fact that he texted you to ask you to be in a relationship, then fired you after you rejected him. Makes him sound like an indecisive, immature and unprofessional man.
    via Substantial_Maybe371

  • It was not behavior that should be accepted.

    MintySymphonies Had something similar happen OP. Sending you hugs. I was lucky not to get fired by him and was lucky he posted something inappropriate on social media that led to him almost getting fired and made him quit.
    via MintySymphonies
  • art_mor_ You are so much better off in the long run
    via art_mor_

  • It was time for her to move on.

    Mindless Teacher859 You left with your self-respect.
    via MindlessTeacher859

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getting fired employee workplace bad bosses
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