If you are working in an organization and you like someone, then the first question is in your mind what you do ? As HR what he/she take action ? Is that right or wrong ? etc.
Well like
Office politics this question (romance) is a key used by one person against
other for their benefit. Small firms and offices consider it as a environment
threat but Big Houses consider it's natural.
I hope those
who have small mentality must read the things -
What constitutes an office relationship?
In real life, people’s relationships exist on many
levels, not all sexual, which complicates the effort to write an office policy
about relationships. Even non-sexual behavior can be unwanted or inappropriate.
It’s often in the eye of the beholder (or the beholder’s spouse) whether or not
a platonic relationship with a coworker crosses the line.
So, for the purposes of this article, an office
relationship will be defined as two people sexually involved with each other,
and we’ll discuss tips and challenges when developing policies regarding office
romances.
Consider these facts when deciding whether your office
needs a policy:
- 37% of workers have dated a co-worker
- 32% have married a co-worker
- More than 1 in 10000 employees has admitted to
having physical relationship with a coworker in the workplace.
Define your terms
Within the
boundaries of the law, every firm should determine its own definition of an
office relationship. Even if the office prohibits them, employees need to know
what precisely is prohibited. If relationships are allowed, the policies
regarding them should reflect each organization’s unique makeup. The idea is to
create a policy that’s realistic enough that it can be enforced in a
reasonable, fair manner. So it should suit your firm’s culture.
But avoid being so specific when writing a
policy for your firm’s population that you inadvertently discriminate against a
protected class. The rules need to apply fairly to all couples no matter their
sexual orientation, race, or other factors such as age (as long as no one is a
minor—and you can never be too clear about this if you have interns).
Do consider the size and demographics of the
firm when developing your policies. Think about the differences between a small
start-up firm run by a group of pre-existing friends, a firm run by a
husband-and-wife team, a small forty-person one-office firm, and a large firm
with many practice groups and office locations. Each of these firms would have
very different policies.
Tough questions and straightforward answers-
If you choose to allow office relationships, here are eight points to consider when establishing your guidelines. They are by no means comprehensive, but they are some of the most frequent questions. The answers reflect commonsense advice for how to best preserve workplace professionalism and help your firm avoid legal issues. You should always write a policy that conforms to your firm’s other employee policies, and HR should confer with the firm’s legal counsel in all matters such as this.
If you choose to allow office relationships, here are eight points to consider when establishing your guidelines. They are by no means comprehensive, but they are some of the most frequent questions. The answers reflect commonsense advice for how to best preserve workplace professionalism and help your firm avoid legal issues. You should always write a policy that conforms to your firm’s other employee policies, and HR should confer with the firm’s legal counsel in all matters such as this.
1) Conduct in the workplace: The workplace is a
professional environment, and employees should behave in such a manner, which
precludes any type of physical conduct between a couple. Flirting and favors
should be avoided, as significant others should be treated the same as any
other coworker. This applies as well to conduct on the telephone, email, and
any other forms of communication. In addition to maintaining a professional
tone, it’s imperative to continue to abide by the firm’s confidentiality and
security policies regarding sharing information. This is true even for married
couples.
2) Conduct during free work time (e.g.,
lunches): Conduct
should be determined by the place, not the time. Behavior needs to conform to
code anywhere on the office premises, at any time, even after hours or
weekends.
3) Conduct at offsite work engagements: On business trips,
can a room be shared between consenting adults? Unless the working couple is
married, no shared rooms. Variation on this theme: Some offices will book two
rooms, but not monitor who stays in which room. Any work function, whether at a
conference center or hotel, should be treated as an extension of the office
space. In some firms, even after-work gatherings at restaurants, bars, or
holiday parties are considered an extension of the office space and are thus
subject to office policies.
4) Does the relationship need to be declared
within the firm? This
is another question that will have to be answered relative to the size and
culture of the firm. If declaration forms are part of the policy, then they
must be included in the Employee Handbook of policies and procedures, and
discussed during sexual harassment training. Should a relationship be allowed
between two members in the same practice area? Again, this would depend on the
firm and its policies. Is it generally recommended? No. The perception of a
conflict of interest or favoritism could be too great.
5) What happens if the relationship is
between a superior and subordinate (in any part of the firm)? The firm must decide
according to its own office structure. No matter the decision, it should be
articulated to employees, discussing the reasons the firm does not allow such
relationships, or, if it does, how to avoid and resolve any potential conflicts
of interest that a reporting relationship might create. This is particularly
true when deciding whether partner/employee relationships are appropriate for
your firm. Most firms prohibit relationships between superiors and
subordinates. If yours does, be careful to specify that any disciplinary
actions should be applied fairly no matter a person’s rank in the firm. This is
true for all firms, but ones with extensive title structures or many partners
(and thus higher odds for relationships across the reporting structure) might
want to put additional language into their policies to this effect.
6) What happens if the relationship goes
sour? This
is why many firms opt for a disclosure form with their policy. When the initial
disclosure is made, HR has an opportunity to discuss what happens if the
relationship ends. From the firm’s perspective, it is generally not responsible
for anything beyond ensuring that the workplace remains comfortable and safe
for all parties involved, in or out of the relationship.
7) What happens if the relationship is
heading for a more permanent union? It depends on the firm’s nepotism
policy. Many firms treat married couples the same as domestic partners or
dating couples, in that they still need to avoid conflicts of interest and
sexual harassment. Some firms require one spouse to leave the firm. (And still
others have been known to hire back the spouse as a “contractor.” Call it a
nepotism work-around.)
8) What happens if you’d like to institute a
policy now, but relationships already exist in the firm? It’s obviously easier
to have a policy in place before a situation arises, and you don’t want your
policy to appear to target a specific couple. Once you create a policy,
however, your policy should be applied fairly to all of your employees.
Depending on how strict your policy, it could mean transferring an employee or
asking one half of a married couple to resign, so you’ll want to craft your
policy to be one you can reasonably enforce in a variety of situations.
As a crux HR should check that due to
relationship this are going worst in the environment or not. No one has rights
to stop anyone after office working hours. If your Boss treated you ill just
because you are in a relationship and you are not doing wrong in the office
premises just make him cleared that this is not of your business. Few people are backward.
#rahulinvision