Workplace romances rose during the pandemic and according to a 2023 Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) survey, 27% of U.S. workers have been in a workplace romance or are currently in one. In addition, 75% said they have no issue with office romances among their co-workers. Due to the potential risks for businesses, many organizations in the past attempted to ban office romances or attempted to prevent relationships between managers and subordinates to prevent power imbalances that would be more likely to lead to claims of sexual harassment, employee favoritism, and divulging of sensitive company information.
In recent years, most businesses have come to understand that banning workplace relationships isn’t going to stop employees from dating each other and could even result in the loss of great team members if one or both people decide they need to change employers to date each other.
Since people do meet at work and start dating, business leaders must create and implement effective workplace relationship policies to protect the organization and its employees.
Protecting Your Business from HR Compliance Issues Caused by Workplace Romances
Workplace romances have the potential to create several HR compliance issues, including claims of sexual harassment, especially if a relationship ends poorly or involves a power imbalance. They can also lead to conflicts of interest, favoritism, or perceived bias, which could violate company policies or employment laws. Without clear workplace romance policies, companies risk managing relationships inconsistently, which can lead to legal liabilities and harm workplace morale.
Office romances can lead to a variety of issues including:
- Distraction and disruption (decreased productivity)
- Negative company culture
- Gossip
- Favoritism
- Confidentiality breaches
- Sexual harassment claims
- Abuse-of-power scenarios
- Retaliation
For employers, managing office romances is important for the sake of reducing the potential for harm. Management and HR teams can reduce the risks by creating clear and well-communicated workplace policies around workplace romances, offering anti-sexual-harassment training, and taking any complaints about office romances seriously. When these steps are taken, the company reduces their potential liability if an employee decides to file a sexual harassment lawsuit related to a workplace romance.
How to Protect Your Business from Workplace Dating Disasters
A range of workplace relationship policies should be implemented to protect businesses and employees. Be sure to update the policy as needs and expectations change.
Consider including these standard policies for workplace relationships within your organization:
Banning Relationships Between Superiors and Subordinates
In a 2022 SHRM study, 54% of respondents reported relationships with power imbalances. Banning relationships between supervisors and subordinates is a good policy because it helps prevent favoritism and unfair treatment in the workplace. A ban can also help to protect the company from potential legal issues – like claims of harassment or abuse of power – when employees were aware that their relationship was against company policy.
Requiring Disclosure of any Romantic Relationship
In the same SHRM study, 77% of respondents said they didn’t disclose their workplace relationships to their employers. Still, when employees do tell HR about their workplace relationships, it can help the company handle potential problems early, like conflicts of interest or favoritism. It also ensures both employees know and follow company policies, which can help protect the business and create a fair, respectful work environment for everyone.
Barring Public Displays of Affection
Banning public displays of affection in the workplace helps to maintain a professional work environment and prevents making other employees uncomfortable. It also reduces distractions and the chance of favoritism or unprofessional behavior that could hurt teamwork and productivity.
Requiring a Love Contract
Requiring the couple to sign a “love contract” that acknowledges the company’s anti-sexual-harassment policies can protect the business by reducing liability risks, such as favoritism or harassment claims. The love contract should typically include language that asks each person to confirm that the relationship is consensual and to agree that they will follow company policies. Love contracts may also outline expectations for professional behavior, provide an overview of the company’s anti-harassment policies, and confirm that employees understand the potential conflicts of interest that could arise from their relationship.
How to Make Sure Employees Understand Your Workplace Romance Policies
Writing policies and including them in the employee handbook is only half the battle. The onboarding process is an ideal time to explain key policies, including the workplace romance policy, to ensure that all employees understand acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in your workplace.
Holding annual training sessions to clarify expectations and answer questions around workplace romances and sexual harassment policies is also a good idea.
Offering a confidential way for employees to share concerns about office romances can help HR manage a potential issue before it blows up.
Protect Your Business from Workplace Relationship Issues
Seay Management provides a broad range of HR services designed to support your business’s growth and ensure compliance with all state and federal employer regulations. Our primary goal is to make sure that your business is compliant with all employment regulations to eliminate any financial exposure in these areas. We also offer harassment training, personalized consulting, and help writing and revising employee handbooks to create effective workplace dating and workplace harassment policies. We also provide employers with a reliable point of contact for any HR-related questions, offering prompt and accurate responses via call, email, or text.
