Despite the potential pitfalls, having a relationship with a colleague seems a risk worth taking for most – especially when the seasons change.

A study of more than 2,000 professionals, carried out by Reboot Digital, has found you’re twice as likely to start an office romance during the winter months.

And they actually happen a lot more than you’d think, with 45% of those questioned saying they’d dated a co-worker at some point during their lives.

However, don’t expect your boss to be jumping for joy at your newfound love; more than a quarter of bosses say they would prefer their staff didn’t date one another. Which probably explains why 40% of dating colleagues tend to keep their new relationship under wraps for as long as they possibly can.

With 66% of those surveyed saying their office romance started over the winter, where it did it all begin? The cliché of the Christmas party, of course. While everyone is suited and booted, 30% of first kisses between colleagues are taking place (under the mistletoe?).

Unfortunately, according to the participants of the study, 20% of workplace encounters involve a married partner. And while 6% of those surveyed said they’d lost their job due to their office romance, 9% said they themselves had opted to leave due to irreconcilable differences with colleagues.

Images: USA Network / Rex Features