When people work in close quarters with one another, they may grow to resent each other’s foibles and personal habits. Other times, they may slowly become fonder of one another. Historically, the workplace has been a common location where people meet romantic partners.
Coworkers dating can lead to happy marriages in some cases. Other times, office romances and other scenarios where employees date each other can lead to lawsuits. Businesses with multiple employees may benefit from establishing a thorough policy addressing coworker romances.
Some companies prohibit workplace relationships, but such policies may result in employees lying and hiding their behavior. Establishing specific rules about relationship disclosures can help mitigate the possibility of one employee suing a company after a relationship ends.
Workplace relationships don’t always end well
Most dating relationships end in breakups rather than marriage or long-term commitment. In some cases, one party may feel resentful and bitter after the end of a relationship. They may feel like the other person took advantage of them, especially if that person was in a position of authority in the workplace.
Workers might allege that their romantic partner engaged in quid pro quo harassment by manipulating them into the relationship or offering career benefits for intimate personal favors. Other times, they may try to claim that the person they dated created a hostile work environment after the end of the relationship.
In either case, the company might be vulnerable. When organizations ignore scenarios that may constitute sexual harassment, they expose themselves to legal liability.
Dating policies protect employers
Requiring immediate disclosure of any romantic or intimate encounters protects a company from litigation. The business can potentially discipline both employees should they attempt to hide their relationship from management and human resources. The disclosure process often involves informing the workers of specific restrictions on their behavior and having them sign agreements that indemnify the company in the event of a breakup. The bigger a company grows, the more likely it is for workers to eventually start dating each other.
Addressing potential sources of employment liability can help protect businesses from costly lawsuits. The right company policies can go a long way toward limiting the risk generated by an office romance.