As I know, in some companies, workplace romance is no allowed.For sure, lots of people think it's inhumane.One of my friend quited her job since she felt love with her boss.However,they finally separated.It's also very normal someone give up the job when the office romance over since they don't want to see each other anymore.From my point of view, I don't like it.The workplace romance may bring a complex relationship. I think no one will feel comfortable if the couple spending inordinate amounts of time together during work hours or public displays of affection.Imaging workplace relationship develops between a supervisor and a subordinate,what will other employees think if the subordinate get promotion?
Workplace romance is always a difficult situation even if things are going alright. I agree that it makes the relationship more complex and complicated. First, I feel most companies now have agreements that employees can sign to formally release the company from liabilities, and also other friends of mine have told me that companies have rules in place where relationships cannot be in situations where the two have some type of subordinate/boss relationship. Obviously, its not ideal, but at the same time, sometimes people who work together for long periods of time end up forming more personal relationships - especially within certain industries (financial services, auditing, accoutning, during busy seasons, etc.) The problem is the people involved need to be responsible and do whats best for them personally and for their career.
Sometimes, we will complain that the inhibition of workplace romance is somewhat unreasonable; however, there will be some merit to the worker and organization.
I work for a supermarket two years ago, and the company has fifteen branches in my hometown. The workers will transfer to each branch every year to avoid idleness when they stay same environment for a long time. There is a consuetude that the couples working in our company never transfer to the same branch. Even it sounds like a unjustifiable consuetude at first, but the feel or vision of the couples is different from my thought. The couple tells me that sometimes they feel better when they work in the different place to their wife or husband. They can concentrate on their job; furthermore they can make new friends on their work. Even they get marriage; they still have their own life and individual leisure time. That relax will enhance their performance in their work.
I believe that issues can arise from not only romances within the work environment, but any "close" relationship. When you are emotionally connected to someone whether it be in a friendly capacity or a romantic one it can be hard to separate personal feelings from duty. While it is not unheard of for such a thing to work out, those situations are in the minority. Simple things like constructive criticism can be taken harshly when coming from a friend or a lover because we tend to expect a gentle hand from someone we are connected to. If they are honest and give their honest opinion it can be taken as a personal assault. On the other hand if they continued to automatically praise anything that you put forth it can cause you problems down the road when you do show it to someone with a professional interest in the outcome and it is not on par for what they expect. Anytime personal interests intermingle with professional interests caution is key.
I absolutely agree with you Garon--interesting point to add that unromantic, close, personal relationships can be dangerous territory at times as well. As employees we are to conduct ourselves professionally, but it's also important to adapt to the environment. Developing relationships with co-workers can often create bonds that will be beneficial to the work environment. Balance is certainly key...
This may be a deviation from the topics posted, but has anyone ever worked with a husband and wife team in the workplace? This creates a different dynamic from simply romance in the workplace. Influences other than romantic involvement could perhaps be a distraction. Finances, family, and scheduling could possibly get in the way of productivity.
I'm curious to hear if anyone has worked in this type of situation, as either another employee or as a part of the husband/wife team...
I strongly disagree with workplace romance and I believe all organizations should be on the lookout for it. However, I understand the environment and industry play an important role in this as well, which can help the executives to understand and manage a lot of the issues that arise with workplace romance.
In regards to environment, a couple could be working within the same organization but they don't necessarily sit a cubical across from each other. They can individually be involved in different parts of an organization. For instance, the husband could be working in distribution and logistics while the wife could be in the accounting department within the same company.
This issue depends on the type of industry as well. The effect of workplace romance varies by industry and could have more severe outcomes on a manufacturing plant than a store front. For example, in a dairy production plant/head quarters, a couple closely working together may cause many dramatic situations where the couple and surrounding colleagues are affected by them, thereby, costing the company a lot of time and capacity. Dramatic situations such as distractions, not focusing on their work, taking breaks to be with each other, bringing problems at home to work, etc are some of the common issues that currently exist in organizations today.
On the other hand, in a grocery store such as Whole Foods Market, where they offer a friendly environment and every customer is well respected, these characteristics are part of the culture that have shaped the store through the friendships and other personal relationships that exist at Whole Foods Market.
I tend to agree that workplace romance should be discouraged but only in certain situations. In my opinion, romantic relationships between a boss & his/her subordinate shouldn't be allowed. In that case, an unfair advantage would be given to the subordinate when raises/promotions come up, etc. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with a romantic relationship between, say, a manager in the accounting department and an assistant in the marketing department. Since those two people wouldn't regularly work together on the same tasks, in the same groups, or even in the same area, their romance wouldn't be a distraction to them or their colleagues. My parents actually met at work almost thirty years ago, and they're still together today. I don't think a romance between co-workers in separate departments should be forbidden or even discouraged by company policy, but that's just my personal opinion.
I definitely agree with Stacey that workplace romance between a manager and his or her subordinate should be forbidden. Not only would it create unfair advantages for the subordinate, but it could create tension and resentment between the subordinate and his or her peers. I think workplace romances between two colleagues not working for or above one another are acceptable but could still cause tension or awkwardness for other employees at work, even if feelings are left at the door. Surprisingly, the majority of my boyfriend (whom I met at work) and I's problems stemmed from unprofessional behavior coming from our superiors. The main issue we dealt with was having our superiors believe that if there was a problem caused by myself at work, it was my boyfriend's responsibility to rectify the situation and vice versa. The main point I'm trying to make is that no matter where in the company the individuals in the relationship work, the couple is always setting themselves up for some sort of tension or issue to arise, regardless of the intent.
I agree with most of the comments here…..but it comes to find out that a large number of couples in the US will tell you that they met at work or through work. So that tell us what? What better place to meet than work nowadays. As of today, most people spend on average 8-10 hours a day at their workplace. Most people do not have a social life, their job being the ONLY thing in their lives. And that varies depending on the profession and the field we’re talking about. How many times do we hear two interns (Doctors) dating or getting married or two engineers working for the same firm being in a relationship? frequently. Because it is appears that it is easier to relate with someone who works in the same field or environment for some people. As far as I’m concerned there should not be any surprise when seeing two employees having a “relationship” cause interaction creates “closeness”. On the other side, I also agree with the fact an employee and a superior should not be involved in any kind of romance to avoid any misconceptions and ethical issues.
I think it’s quite difficult to choose a side when we talk about whether it is proper to have a romance in the workplace. I had seen some good results as well as bad ones, but I think the key determination is depend on the characters of the job and the organization culture. My parents are good example. They met in an insurance company. At first my mom worked as my father’s secretary and after they married, my mom joined my dad as a sales person. They worked together just as a team and complemented with each other perfectly. My parents were not the only sales couple; actually, there were lots of couples worked together in their office. However, I do not consider this as a “normal” situation, since this phenomenon was resulted from the character of the job; that is, everyone as an individual sale person, the only mission is to maximize the sales volume, and it is perfectly suited if one couple works together to reach the sales goal. However, I had also witnessed some workplace romance ended with bad consequences. I had worked as an intern when I was a junior. There were 4 interns in that summer included me. In the office, there was a young and beautiful secretary and one of our male intern fell in love with her. At first, only 4 of us knew about they were dating, but this news spread stunningly fast and in the end even the senior manager knew about it. I was an intern, but as I perceived, this kind of affair seemed to be not welcome in the company. After I finished the internship, one colleague I was familiar with told me the secretary resigned but people continued to gossip about her. As far as I am concerned, I think it’s better to understand the organization culture first than rush in to the workplace romance, otherwise it would be very risky when you step in.
I believe the main reason that companies frown upon workplace romance is if what happens if things go south between the couple. This would make the work atmosphere extremely tense for other employees and generally contribute to a poor workplace atmosphere. Lets look at a worse case atmosphere, suppose the split is not amicable ie one of the partners meets someone else, the spurned lover in jealousy could tamper with other parties work products/files, damage office property, or worse this could result in an lawsuit against the company.
I also agree with the cautious approach to workplace romance and the rules corporations apply to couples at work. @ Bianca, I have previously worked with a Husband and wife in the same group but not the same team. I found out much later the two were married since they were professional and acted normal when they were around each other. They however ended up divorcing ( I don't know why)but the wife left the company. As with previous posts, companies are not only worried about distractions during work but what happens if the relationship goes sour. Companies are also concerned with workplace safety and what risks employees are exposed to. Romance at the workplace can also complicate team dynamics and relationships within the group. I am however not opposed to romance at the workplace, as long as it is the right fit of individuals with their responsibilities at the company.
I agree that romance in the workplace should be discouraged in any organization. There is a distinct possibility that if the relationship doesn't go well and ends that a hostile work environment will be created. This extends not only to the two people involved but everyone they work with because they will feel the tension between the ex's and will create an awkward environment. This of course will hamper people's ability to work efficiently because they cannot be comfortable when their co-workers are making things complicated. This creates a high risk in terms of lawsuits because the now broken up couple is more likely to file for sexual harassment suits should the break up go badly. It is human nature to become overly critical of someone that has wronged them. This creates a large monetary expense to the company because they need to have insurance against these suits and are forced to become financially responsible for their employee's "spite." Overall, the employees are optimistic and think they wouldn't be put in a situation like this but things like this happen and it doesn't bode well for companies. There are reasons that companies put together workshops to protect themselves but that simply isn't enough. Companies cannot simply say that it isn't allowed because that can be construed as a company infringing on personal rights. So it makes workplace romances a very hard situation to control and leads to a large gray area for companies to know how much to step in or not.
I agree with Stacy and Katie. It shouldn't be allowed in a supervisor/subordinate situation. Frankly though, I don't believe it's right to forbid it. People are going to do what they want anyway. Forbidding something will only make it a thrill for people. This topic is a tricky one because everyone is an adult in the workplace but after a tough break up I believe it is difficult to act like one especially if someone is the one that was dumped. There should be rules about supervisor/subordinate relationship of course, but if it's just a peer to peer relationship that should be fine. They just have to work it out between themselves.
I agree that workplace romance should be discouraged, especially for manager and his/her subordinate. In a relationship, it is easy to confuse love and work responsibilities. When the subordinate makes a mistake, the manager could help, encourage, even scold the subordinate. When in a relationship, it is difficult to do unbiased decision.
Although you believe you can handle it, you can not restrain treating her better than others,or give her more smiles. And you can not control how people talk about your relationship.
Not only for manager and his/her subordinate, everyone will face difficultly when he/her wants to break up. It is embarrassing to meet each other in the company, and it is unfair for each one who choose to leave the company.
With American workers spending more hours than they used to at the office, there is less time to get out and socialize. It should not come as a surprise that more coworkers are falling in love on the job.
Another reason for the proliferation of office romances is the fact that women now make up nearly half of the workforce, which has leveled the dating playing field. Furthermore, your office is staffed by people with whom you are already compatible by virtue of your going into the same line of work. You share many of the same interests, are likely in the same age bracket, and are motivated by similar goals and dreams.
Written and unwritten policies on employee romance vary from firm to firm; it's the person’s responsibility to find out what they are. Although both you and the object of your affections may be willing participants in the relationship, remember that there still may be repercussions. Disciplinary actions for on-the-job dating could include one of you being asked to resign from the firm.
Having been in Human Resources for about 20 years, I have seen my share of office romances. Practically all of them have ended badly. When there is a manager/subordinate relationship I definitely have to advise the manager of its potential consequences. Even in my current company which I am no longer in HR (tired of being laidoff!) I know of at least 4 office romances going on right now. One of them is in a very high level position. It has caused complete resentment of many of my coworkers in one specific department that it has lead some people leaving the company. Unless you know for a fact that that the co-worker is "the one" for you, I highly advise keeping the working relationships to no more than just good friends.
Office romance is a tricky situation. Americans spend up to 1/3 of their lives at work. That leaves little time to find spouses/significant others. The work place can be a great place to find a significant other due to similar schedules, interest, and work environments. However, it leaves the question, at what cost? The organization can suffer greatly due to broken relationships. Some of the problems can be hostile workplace and sexual harassment. In the end it is too hard to fight human nature. Although it is against the law in most cases to ban fraternization, workplace romances are frowned upon in a lot of organizations. Instead of banning workplace romance, a lot of organizations are now adopting clear and strict rules for workplace romance. Some of these rules involve open disclosure of relationships, banning manager-subordinate relationships, and a promise not to disrupt the work environment. In conclusion, workplace romance is a something that isn’t going away and organizations are instead taking a responsive approach.
How are the rest of the groups designing their presentations? We have decided to focus on the advantages, disadvantages, and an overall conclusion and thoughts.
I agree wit Sam a great portion of our time is spent at work and interoffice relationships are only a natural part of life.
I further have a very big bias toward HR. I feel that they overlook important issues but love investigating the gossip. I work as a a Clinical Information Manager at Memorial Hermann, where i handle all clinincal documentation and patient charts with the phyicians that work there. In the past year I started dating my colleage and it was very difficult for us to do to begin with knowing that it would be frowned upon. However, with in physicians it is not a big deal for spouses to work together, or with in nurses. I know that if we had broken up it would have been very diffuclt to work with him. But this is a risk that people have to take in the dating world. Also, if your career is very important to you that it would be important to reconsider the consequences. In my case I feel that this job is temporary for me since I am also applyto medical schools. So I went for and and we couldn't be happier. It is the best decision I ever made and now we are living together.
There are so many disadvantages of office romance. If two people working together get trapped in office romance, no matter how hard they try to hide their relationship from others, it is still inevitably to be caught and become a hot topic among their colleagues. The ambiguity leaves it open to embellishment as it passes orally from one person to the next. Sometimes, people go out of their way to spread malicious rumors about someone with the intent of damaging that individual’s reputation. Rumors of this type, known as wedge drivers, are the most damaging type because they are used in an intentionally aggressive fashion. If the office romance happens between an office worker and the boss, the boss’s partiality or special treatment must harm the organizational justice and cause instability to the group. Once the organizational balance and justice was damaged by office romance, prejudice or enmity would rise among group members. If their benefits were influenced, conflict was caused. When people experience clashes of personalities or interpersonal tension of some sort, the frustration and anger are signs of affective conflict.
I think that romance in the workplace is a very common occurrence. As some of you mentioned above, most people spend the majority of their time at work, so it is natural to have relationships of this type.
I would like to agree with some of the bogs above. Workplace romance is something that occurs often. If you are spending at least 40 hours a week with that person then of course you might start developing feelings for them. It is only natural. It is the your responsibility to not let the romance interfere with your work. Having relationship issues can affect your work in general but when you actually have to work with the person that you had a fight with, it can affect your work. I think that workplace romance should be avoided as long as possible, but if you can't live without each other, then you must know the consequences of it if it affects your work output.
Office romance is fairly common these days as the office is where we spend so much of our time. Handled well it can lead to a relationship. Handled badly it can lead to a lawsuit for harassment. It is not surprising that romance springs up at the office. We spend a third or more of our lives in the office or other places of work. It is a non-threatening environment where we have an opportunity to meet potential dating partners and learn more about them than just what they look like.
Yet I feel, romantic involvement between employees is loaded with dangers for both the employees and for their employer.
Recently, many companies tried to ban dating among their employees. Most have since abandoned that plan, because of legal restrictions and a recognition of the inevitable. Instead most now try to restrict such activities that are harmful to the business.
One of the main questions would be "Is it appreciated?"
Well, I feel ff you are going to allow employees "coming on" to other employees, you have to first make very clear the company policy on harassment. If an employee is not interested in, or receptive to, an advance from another employee, it should end there. Playing around, verbal sparring, etc. are appropriate preludes to dating, but only if the receiving party is comfortable with them. If you have a harassment policy, make it very clear all employees. If you don't have one, you need to generate one right now.
The other question that might arise is "Is it appropriate?"
In most cases, mutually-agreeable relationships between employees pose no danger to the company. However, there are instances where they are inappropriate and may be harmful to the company and its interest. For instance, it is never a good idea for a manager to be romantically involved with a subordinate in their own organization. Situations such as this should be clearly spelled out in the company policy as inappropriate and subject to corrective action.
As I know, in some companies, workplace romance is no allowed.For sure, lots of people think it's inhumane.One of my friend quited her job since she felt love with her boss.However,they finally separated.It's also very normal someone give up the job when the office romance over since they don't want to see each other anymore.From my point of view, I don't like it.The workplace romance may bring a complex relationship. I think no one will feel comfortable if the couple spending inordinate amounts of time together during work hours or public displays of affection.Imaging workplace relationship develops between a supervisor and a subordinate,what will other employees think if the subordinate get promotion?
ReplyDeleteWorkplace romance is always a difficult situation even if things are going alright. I agree that it makes the relationship more complex and complicated. First, I feel most companies now have agreements that employees can sign to formally release the company from liabilities, and also other friends of mine have told me that companies have rules in place where relationships cannot be in situations where the two have some type of subordinate/boss relationship. Obviously, its not ideal, but at the same time, sometimes people who work together for long periods of time end up forming more personal relationships - especially within certain industries (financial services, auditing, accoutning, during busy seasons, etc.) The problem is the people involved need to be responsible and do whats best for them personally and for their career.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, we will complain that the inhibition of workplace romance is somewhat unreasonable; however, there will be some merit to the worker and organization.
ReplyDeleteI work for a supermarket two years ago, and the company has fifteen branches in my hometown. The workers will transfer to each branch every year to avoid idleness when they stay same environment for a long time. There is a consuetude that the couples working in our company never transfer to the same branch. Even it sounds like a unjustifiable consuetude at first, but the feel or vision of the couples is different from my thought.
The couple tells me that sometimes they feel better when they work in the different place to their wife or husband. They can concentrate on their job; furthermore they can make new friends on their work. Even they get marriage; they still have their own life and individual leisure time. That relax will enhance their performance in their work.
I believe that issues can arise from not only romances within the work environment, but any "close" relationship. When you are emotionally connected to someone whether it be in a friendly capacity or a romantic one it can be hard to separate personal feelings from duty. While it is not unheard of for such a thing to work out, those situations are in the minority. Simple things like constructive criticism can be taken harshly when coming from a friend or a lover because we tend to expect a gentle hand from someone we are connected to. If they are honest and give their honest opinion it can be taken as a personal assault. On the other hand if they continued to automatically praise anything that you put forth it can cause you problems down the road when you do show it to someone with a professional interest in the outcome and it is not on par for what they expect. Anytime personal interests intermingle with professional interests caution is key.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you Garon--interesting point to add that unromantic, close, personal relationships can be dangerous territory at times as well. As employees we are to conduct ourselves professionally, but it's also important to adapt to the environment. Developing relationships with co-workers can often create bonds that will be beneficial to the work environment. Balance is certainly key...
ReplyDeleteThis may be a deviation from the topics posted, but has anyone ever worked with a husband and wife team in the workplace? This creates a different dynamic from simply romance in the workplace. Influences other than romantic involvement could perhaps be a distraction. Finances, family, and scheduling could possibly get in the way of productivity.
I'm curious to hear if anyone has worked in this type of situation, as either another employee or as a part of the husband/wife team...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI strongly disagree with workplace romance and I believe all organizations should be on the lookout for it. However, I understand the environment and industry play an important role in this as well, which can help the executives to understand and manage a lot of the issues that arise with workplace romance.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to environment, a couple could be working within the same organization but they don't necessarily sit a cubical across from each other. They can individually be involved in different parts of an organization. For instance, the husband could be working in distribution and logistics while the wife could be in the accounting department within the same company.
This issue depends on the type of industry as well. The effect of workplace romance varies by industry and could have more severe outcomes on a manufacturing plant than a store front. For example, in a dairy production plant/head quarters, a couple closely working together may cause many dramatic situations where the couple and surrounding colleagues are affected by them, thereby, costing the company a lot of time and capacity. Dramatic situations such as distractions, not focusing on their work, taking breaks to be with each other, bringing problems at home to work, etc are some of the common issues that currently exist in organizations today.
On the other hand, in a grocery store such as Whole Foods Market, where they offer a friendly environment and every customer is well respected, these characteristics are part of the culture that have shaped the store through the friendships and other personal relationships that exist at Whole Foods Market.
I tend to agree that workplace romance should be discouraged but only in certain situations. In my opinion, romantic relationships between a boss & his/her subordinate shouldn't be allowed. In that case, an unfair advantage would be given to the subordinate when raises/promotions come up, etc. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with a romantic relationship between, say, a manager in the accounting department and an assistant in the marketing department. Since those two people wouldn't regularly work together on the same tasks, in the same groups, or even in the same area, their romance wouldn't be a distraction to them or their colleagues. My parents actually met at work almost thirty years ago, and they're still together today. I don't think a romance between co-workers in separate departments should be forbidden or even discouraged by company policy, but that's just my personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Stacey that workplace romance between a manager and his or her subordinate should be forbidden. Not only would it create unfair advantages for the subordinate, but it could create tension and resentment between the subordinate and his or her peers. I think workplace romances between two colleagues not working for or above one another are acceptable but could still cause tension or awkwardness for other employees at work, even if feelings are left at the door. Surprisingly, the majority of my boyfriend (whom I met at work) and I's problems stemmed from unprofessional behavior coming from our superiors. The main issue we dealt with was having our superiors believe that if there was a problem caused by myself at work, it was my boyfriend's responsibility to rectify the situation and vice versa. The main point I'm trying to make is that no matter where in the company the individuals in the relationship work, the couple is always setting themselves up for some sort of tension or issue to arise, regardless of the intent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments here…..but it comes to find out that a large number of couples in the US will tell you that they met at work or through work. So that tell us what? What better place to meet than work nowadays. As of today, most people spend on average 8-10 hours a day at their workplace. Most people do not have a social life, their job being the ONLY thing in their lives. And that varies depending on the profession and the field we’re talking about. How many times do we hear two interns (Doctors) dating or getting married or two engineers working for the same firm being in a relationship? frequently. Because it is appears that it is easier to relate with someone who works in the same field or environment for some people.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I’m concerned there should not be any surprise when seeing two employees having a “relationship” cause interaction creates “closeness”. On the other side, I also agree with the fact an employee and a superior should not be involved in any kind of romance to avoid any misconceptions and ethical issues.
I think it’s quite difficult to choose a side when we talk about whether it is proper to have a romance in the workplace. I had seen some good results as well as bad ones, but I think the key determination is depend on the characters of the job and the organization culture. My parents are good example. They met in an insurance company. At first my mom worked as my father’s secretary and after they married, my mom joined my dad as a sales person. They worked together just as a team and complemented with each other perfectly. My parents were not the only sales couple; actually, there were lots of couples worked together in their office. However, I do not consider this as a “normal” situation, since this phenomenon was resulted from the character of the job; that is, everyone as an individual sale person, the only mission is to maximize the sales volume, and it is perfectly suited if one couple works together to reach the sales goal.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I had also witnessed some workplace romance ended with bad consequences. I had worked as an intern when I was a junior. There were 4 interns in that summer included me. In the office, there was a young and beautiful secretary and one of our male intern fell in love with her. At first, only 4 of us knew about they were dating, but this news spread stunningly fast and in the end even the senior manager knew about it. I was an intern, but as I perceived, this kind of affair seemed to be not welcome in the company. After I finished the internship, one colleague I was familiar with told me the secretary resigned but people continued to gossip about her.
As far as I am concerned, I think it’s better to understand the organization culture first than rush in to the workplace romance, otherwise it would be very risky when you step in.
I believe the main reason that companies frown upon workplace romance is if what happens if things go south between the couple. This would make the work atmosphere extremely tense for other employees and generally contribute to a poor workplace atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteLets look at a worse case atmosphere, suppose the split is not amicable ie one of the partners meets someone else, the spurned lover in jealousy could tamper with other parties work products/files, damage office property, or worse this could result in an lawsuit against the company.
I also agree with the cautious approach to workplace romance and the rules corporations apply to couples at work.
ReplyDelete@ Bianca, I have previously worked with a Husband and wife in the same group but not the same team. I found out much later the two were married since they were professional and acted normal when they were around each other. They however ended up divorcing ( I don't know why)but the wife left the company. As with previous posts, companies are not only worried about distractions during work but what happens if the relationship goes sour.
Companies are also concerned with workplace safety and what risks employees are exposed to.
Romance at the workplace can also complicate team dynamics and relationships within the group.
I am however not opposed to romance at the workplace, as long as it is the right fit of individuals with their responsibilities at the company.
I agree that romance in the workplace should be discouraged in any organization. There is a distinct possibility that if the relationship doesn't go well and ends that a hostile work environment will be created. This extends not only to the two people involved but everyone they work with because they will feel the tension between the ex's and will create an awkward environment. This of course will hamper people's ability to work efficiently because they cannot be comfortable when their co-workers are making things complicated.
ReplyDeleteThis creates a high risk in terms of lawsuits because the now broken up couple is more likely to file for sexual harassment suits should the break up go badly. It is human nature to become overly critical of someone that has wronged them. This creates a large monetary expense to the company because they need to have insurance against these suits and are forced to become financially responsible for their employee's "spite."
Overall, the employees are optimistic and think they wouldn't be put in a situation like this but things like this happen and it doesn't bode well for companies. There are reasons that companies put together workshops to protect themselves but that simply isn't enough. Companies cannot simply say that it isn't allowed because that can be construed as a company infringing on personal rights. So it makes workplace romances a very hard situation to control and leads to a large gray area for companies to know how much to step in or not.
I agree with Stacy and Katie. It shouldn't be allowed in a supervisor/subordinate situation. Frankly though, I don't believe it's right to forbid it. People are going to do what they want anyway. Forbidding something will only make it a thrill for people. This topic is a tricky one because everyone is an adult in the workplace but after a tough break up I believe it is difficult to act like one especially if someone is the one that was dumped. There should be rules about supervisor/subordinate relationship of course, but if it's just a peer to peer relationship that should be fine. They just have to work it out between themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree that workplace romance should be discouraged, especially for manager and his/her subordinate. In a relationship, it is easy to confuse love and work responsibilities. When the subordinate makes a mistake, the manager could help, encourage, even scold the subordinate. When in a relationship, it is difficult to do unbiased decision.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you believe you can handle it, you can not restrain treating her better than others,or give her more smiles. And you can not control how people talk about your relationship.
Not only for manager and his/her subordinate, everyone will face difficultly when he/her wants to break up. It is embarrassing to meet each other in the company, and it is unfair for each one who choose to leave the company.
With American workers spending more hours than they used to at the office, there is less time to get out and socialize. It should not come as a surprise that more coworkers are falling in love on the job.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason for the proliferation of office romances is the fact that women now make up nearly half of the workforce, which has leveled the dating playing field. Furthermore, your office is staffed by people with whom you are already compatible by virtue of your going into the same line of work. You share many of the same interests, are likely in the same age bracket, and are motivated by similar goals and dreams.
Written and unwritten policies on employee romance vary from firm to firm; it's the person’s responsibility to find out what they are. Although both you and the object of your affections may be willing participants in the relationship, remember that there still may be repercussions. Disciplinary actions for on-the-job dating could include one of you being asked to resign from the firm.
Having been in Human Resources for about 20 years, I have seen my share of office romances. Practically all of them have ended badly. When there is a manager/subordinate relationship I definitely have to advise the manager of its potential consequences. Even in my current company which I am no longer in HR (tired of being laidoff!) I know of at least 4 office romances going on right now. One of them is in a very high level position. It has caused complete resentment of many of my coworkers in one specific department that it has lead some people leaving the company. Unless you know for a fact that that the co-worker is "the one" for you, I highly advise keeping the working relationships to no more than just good friends.
ReplyDeleteOffice romance is a tricky situation. Americans spend up to 1/3 of their lives at work. That leaves little time to find spouses/significant others. The work place can be a great place to find a significant other due to similar schedules, interest, and work environments. However, it leaves the question, at what cost? The organization can suffer greatly due to broken relationships. Some of the problems can be hostile workplace and sexual harassment. In the end it is too hard to fight human nature. Although it is against the law in most cases to ban fraternization, workplace romances are frowned upon in a lot of organizations. Instead of banning workplace romance, a lot of organizations are now adopting clear and strict rules for workplace romance. Some of these rules involve open disclosure of relationships, banning manager-subordinate relationships, and a promise not to disrupt the work environment. In conclusion, workplace romance is a something that isn’t going away and organizations are instead taking a responsive approach.
ReplyDeleteHow are the rest of the groups designing their presentations? We have decided to focus on the advantages, disadvantages, and an overall conclusion and thoughts.
I agree wit Sam a great portion of our time is spent at work and interoffice relationships are only a natural part of life.
ReplyDeleteI further have a very big bias toward HR. I feel that they overlook important issues but love investigating the gossip. I work as a a Clinical Information Manager at Memorial Hermann, where i handle all clinincal documentation and patient charts with the phyicians that work there. In the past year I started dating my colleage and it was very difficult for us to do to begin with knowing that it would be frowned upon. However, with in physicians it is not a big deal for spouses to work together, or with in nurses. I know that if we had broken up it would have been very diffuclt to work with him. But this is a risk that people have to take in the dating world. Also, if your career is very important to you that it would be important to reconsider the consequences. In my case I feel that this job is temporary for me since I am also applyto medical schools. So I went for and and we couldn't be happier. It is the best decision I ever made and now we are living together.
There are so many disadvantages of office romance. If two people working together get trapped in office romance, no matter how hard they try to hide their relationship from others, it is still inevitably to be caught and become a hot topic among their colleagues. The ambiguity leaves it open to embellishment as it passes orally from one person to the next. Sometimes, people go out of their way to spread malicious rumors about someone with the intent of damaging that individual’s reputation. Rumors of this type, known as wedge drivers, are the most damaging type because they are used in an intentionally aggressive fashion.
ReplyDeleteIf the office romance happens between an office worker and the boss, the boss’s partiality or special treatment must harm the organizational justice and cause instability to the group.
Once the organizational balance and justice was damaged by office romance, prejudice or enmity would rise among group members. If their benefits were influenced, conflict was caused. When people experience clashes of personalities or interpersonal tension of some sort, the frustration and anger are signs of affective conflict.
I think that romance in the workplace is a very common occurrence. As some of you mentioned above, most people spend the majority of their time at work, so it is natural to have relationships of this type.
ReplyDeleteI would like to agree with some of the bogs above. Workplace romance is something that occurs often. If you are spending at least 40 hours a week with that person then of course you might start developing feelings for them. It is only natural. It is the your responsibility to not let the romance interfere with your work. Having relationship issues can affect your work in general but when you actually have to work with the person that you had a fight with, it can affect your work. I think that workplace romance should be avoided as long as possible, but if you can't live without each other, then you must know the consequences of it if it affects your work output.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you all.
ReplyDeleteOffice romance is fairly common these days as the office is where we spend so much of our time. Handled well it can lead to a relationship. Handled badly it can lead to a lawsuit for harassment. It is not surprising that romance springs up at the office. We spend a third or more of our lives in the office or other places of work. It is a non-threatening environment where we have an opportunity to meet potential dating partners and learn more about them than just what they look like.
Yet I feel, romantic involvement between employees is loaded with dangers for both the employees and for their employer.
Recently, many companies tried to ban dating among their employees. Most have since abandoned that plan, because of legal restrictions and a recognition of the inevitable. Instead most now try to restrict such activities that are harmful to the business.
One of the main questions would be "Is it appreciated?"
Well, I feel ff you are going to allow employees "coming on" to other employees, you have to first make very clear the company policy on harassment. If an employee is not interested in, or receptive to, an advance from another employee, it should end there. Playing around, verbal sparring, etc. are appropriate preludes to dating, but only if the receiving party is comfortable with them. If you have a harassment policy, make it very clear all employees. If you don't have one, you need to generate one right now.
The other question that might arise is "Is it appropriate?"
In most cases, mutually-agreeable relationships between employees pose no danger to the company. However, there are instances where they are inappropriate and may be harmful to the company and its interest. For instance, it is never a good idea for a manager to be romantically involved with a subordinate in their own organization. Situations such as this should be clearly spelled out in the company policy as inappropriate and subject to corrective action.
Thanks for reading guys !
Yes, I agree with you all. Office romances can result in sexual harassment claims and sexual relations in exchange for promotions and raises.
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