Half of all Europeans believe office romances should be allowed at work because work and personal life are separate.

A survey by the Monster job site revealed 52% of Europeans thought it was okay for colleagues to get intimate.

The majority of Italians (67%), the French (64%), the Irish (64%) and the Brits (53%) subscribe to this point of view.

But Americans are much more up-tight about office flings, with 35% believing that office romances always lead to problems.

Hernan Daguerre, director of communications for Monster Europe, said: "As long as workers behave in a professional manner, their private lives should be respected."