Office relationships are risky business

Office relationships are risky business

They can create a range of challenges for organizations from lost productivity to expensive litigation

    Office romances are a strong possibility at work. Even the likes of Bill and Melinda Gates and Michelle and Barack Obama have walked down that path!
    So, where is the problem? Aren’t they consenting adults? Must organizations intervene if work is not impacted? Besides, do organizations have the right to regulate an employee’s personal life? Can they? Must they? Why?
    There are mixed reactions to this. Some believe that romance unnecessarily undermines professionalism at work and must be prohibited. Others argue that it actually increases motivation and productivity at work. When things get tough and deadlines are looming large, knowing that there is a “special” someone around can give both the energy and ego boost that helps efficiency!
    It wasn’t too long ago that we had norms that expected one of the two in a relationship to leave the organization. And, we have also seen a time when companies began to encourage it with “Dating Allowances”. Somewhere in between is the practical solution.
    While it is true that not all office romances bring grief, there are risks involved. It has the potential to create a range of challenges for the organization from lost productivity right up to expensive litigation. Reputations and promising careers have been derailed and extra-marital affairs have left not just the individuals involved but even their office colleagues dealing with the bitter after-taste of an office “divorce”. Organizations, therefore, are well within their rights to have policies against behaviours that can expose them to unnecessary risks
    While relationships between consenting colleagues is not illegal, romances change office dynamics in many ways. A majority of such relationships are more mutually welcome flirtations than romance. However, it is important to be aware of the pitfalls that can occur when coworkers are romantically involved.
    If it is between a manager and a junior, claims of favouritism are possible. If those in love display their affections at work, they risk potential allegations of hostile work environments. And, then again, if the romance sours, as they often do, it can throw up even more challenges.
    Often, it is not that one is in a relationship that is the problem as much as non-compliance with the requirements of company policies. Displays of familiarity at work are not professional behaviour. Company policies generally dissuade relationships between senior leaders, managers and those in positions of influence with employees lower down in the hierarchy. If that happens, most organizations require it be disclosed so the reporting structure can be altered to prevent any potential conflict of interest.
    When things go wrong, a romantically engaged manager can be held to ransom by a subordinate. He/she can always claim sexual harassment even if, in reality, it was a consensual one. A claim that he/she was too intimidated to challenge the manager is hard to disprove and is weighed in favour of the subordinate. A constant threat like that can keep any manager and company on a slippery slope open to charges of sexual harassment.
    Soured relationship, even between peers, has its own challenges. There are high chances of poor communication and collaboration between the two. Delayed responses to mails, hesitance to share work related information, non-cooperation at critical times, are all behaviours that can impact the overall productivity of the team. Sexual harassment of any kind is expensive for organizations. Lost talent and productivity, litigation costs, loss of brand image and goodwill not to mention valuable management time spent in counseling and changing work assignments, etc. Besides, the sensationalism around sexual harassment cases can build unnecessary anxiety in mixed gender groups at work. Thus, any, which way you look at it office relations especially between
    managers and subordinates, is risky business. Drawing up and communicating a zero tolerance policy for harassment with clear do’s and don’ts at work is vital for organizations to show they have exercised reasonable care to prevent sexual harassment. If not, it can make the manager and the organization risk tough legal, ethical, and work related problems.