Office romances
Love is in the air…
With Valentine’s Day approaching, the annual romantic gesture (for some😊) is in the air again ….
Whilst this Day reminds us of the love, it is also a refresher in how to deal with office romances throughout the year. It is important to strike the right balance between allowing your employees’ rights to a private life whilst ensuring they behave in an appropriate way when they are in a relationship with a work colleague (or indeed, if that relationship breaks down).
It is not necessary to have a policy for this, however it would be recommended to address any indiscretions post-haste and informing them:
· their relationships must not influence their conduct at work e.g. no kissing, cuddling, holding hands, or having discussions of a sexual nature (whether verbal or by email)
· no preferential/favourable treatment should be given to the person they are in a relationship with nor should less favourable treatment be given if the relationship ends.
Also, relationships with subordinates can be fraught with problems so clear boundaries between work and personal life are required.
Whilst workplace romances are not against the law, certain behaviours could cross an ethical line, and could be considered to be harassment or discriminatory. Plus, an office romance that turns sour can turn into an embarrassing situation. Where boundaries have been crossed or romances have turned sour, we’ve helped many organisations in the past - usually in these instances to step in and hold those meetings for the client as too sensitive, so it has proven greatly beneficial to the clients to outsource these ‘problems’ to us.
If you need help with advice with the above or anything else people-related,