Relationships at Work

Should romance and work ever mix? Successful businesses can thrive on employees developing strong working relationships but how could a romance between colleagues affect your business?

How common is it?

A recent survey indicates that three quarters of employees questioned have contemplated embarking on a romance in the office and more than 50% had been involved in a workplace relationship at least once.

84% of the same people believed office romances do not have a positive effect on productivity.

The survey indicated that some of the businesses responding to the survey had lost thousands of pounds dealing with the fallout of office romances. If relationships go wrong they can lead to potentially serious issues such as unfair dismissal or sexual harassment claims.

How to avoid the negatives

Some experts believe that contractual clauses aimed at banning office relationships are unlikely to work. Human nature will always find a way! Such a policy could encourage those involved to become secretive and mean that there is a possibility that highly valued employees have to be dismissed.

Finding a balance between the individual’s right to privacy and the interests of the business is the key. It is important to encourage employees to keep work and personal life separate, and to stay professional in all circumstances, as well as to disclose possible conflicts of interest.

It is important for employers to have robust bullying and harassment procedures in place as unwanted attention from an ex-partner could be perceived to be harassment. Any complaints should be dealt with quickly and appropriately.