Date: May 18, 2017
MultiBriefs, a publisher of e-mail newsletters, reported on the inevitability of office romance—and how employers can minimize the trouble that sometimes follows. Its roundup quoted TELG principal David Scher, who stressed the importance of written policies and active communication.
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What can managers do when love blossoms between employees?
Following the recent announcement that MSNBC co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski found love in their on-air contentious relationship and are now engaged, the topic of office romance is fresh in everyone’s minds. Unfortunately — as anyone who has been involved in such a relationship can attest — once the novelty wears off, things can actually get pretty crazy.
Organizations should proactively create policies and open dialogue with couples about sexual harassment and document policy infractions, all while walking the fine line between responsible employer and evil destroyer of love.
Common occurrence
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), early surveys found that approximately “43 percent of HR staff said that they had experienced office romances in their workplace. In other surveys, 55 percent of the HR professionals who responded said that marriage is the most likely outcome of the office romances they experienced. Other studies have reported a higher level of productivity from dating couples at work.”
