It's often said that the office is a great place to meet people, so no one should be surprised when two co-workers fall in love with each other. But if you're a manager or director in your company, what should you do when employees start dating each other?

There's not a lot you can do once the relationship gets started, though several questions may pop into your head. Should you be worried at all? Will this relationship affect the employees' productivity?

If the employees involved are responsible, mature adults, you shouldn't worry too much. But you should re-visit your company handbook to see what your company's rules are concerning office romances. If your company allows it and the employees can handle it, great! If not, you may have a problem on your hands.

Believe it or not, more than half of all office romances lead to a long-term commitment or marriage. Because of this, many companies are hesitant to enact formal dating policies. However, since half of office romances lead to long-term commitments, half end in a break-up. Potential sexual harassment lawsuits or other complications could arise from failed office romances.

When the love bug hits co-workers in your company, these strategies will help you determine what you should - or shouldn't - do.

The Love Contract
Some companies require their employees to sign a contract stating that the relationship is consensual. The reasoning is that if the romance fizzles out, it's harder for one of them to file sexual harassment charges. On the other hand, only four percent of office romances in the last five years have ended in litigation, and many employees consider a "love contract" as an invasion of their privacy.

To avoid being one of the four percent, have your company set up guidelines for what is expected of employees who get involved in an office romance. Also, be sure to circulate the information to all of your employees.

When you create these guidelines, take into account your management style and your company's culture. Adopt a "benign neglect" policy toward office romances between co-workers, provided there are no legitimate complaints about performance or keeping the relationship discreet.

Your guideline should include what you expect from your employees, i.e. maintaining their professionalism, their level of productivity, and a minimum of public displays of affection.

A Quick and Quiet Response
Reassure employees that valid complaints will be taken seriously. Don't sweep it under the rug and hope it will just go away. Deal with complaints as soon as possible before they become bigger problems.

Lend an Ear
Encourage employees to speak their mind with you privately, openly and confidently. Maintaining their confidentiality is important. A positive, supportive environment fosters not only the airing out of problems, but also potential solutions and will preclude the entrance of an attorney joining the fight.

Mediation
Try not to arbitrarily assign blame and fire or transfer an employee. If your company has an employee assistance program, refer them for mediation.

Communication
Clearly communicate your company's formal written policies on office romance - including who to contact for confidential advice and what procedures to follow in a conflict-of-interest or supervisory situation.

Respect Their Privacy
Focus on what your employees do on company time. Unless you suspect illegal action, don't police employees or intercept their confidential messages.

Exercise Fairness
Employ a neutral and consistent investigation of complaints in which each party is treated with equal respect, regardless of gender or rank in the company. Fairness doesn't mean addressing every employee's complaint - only the reasonable and legitimate ones.

When the love bug bites your employees, don't unnecessarily fret over the relationship. The key thing to remember is that office romances are a fact of life and happen regardless of the rules. All you can do as a manager is be prepared.