Dating in the workplace policy

A Legal Guide to Dating a Coworker: The Dos and Don’ts

Flowers, chocolate, and strongly-worded legal complaints: all signs of romance on the job. Many people meet their mate at work, but savvy employers know that love is complicated. Even worse, this may lead to sexual harassment , retaliation, favoritism, and workplace violence. Although an employer may wish to ban dating in the workplace outright, that may be unrealistic. Instead, employers may choose to mitigate risk by implementing a variety of romance in the workplace policies and procedures. Employees may claim that they were targeted and treated poorly after ending a relationship or rebuffing unwanted advances from a supervisory suitor, especially if that employee is later terminated or passed over for promotion. The demise of a coworker relationship may also lead to harassment claims if one party continues to pursue the other.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus convallis sem tellus, vitae egestas felis vestibule ut. Request permission to republish or redistribute SHRM content and materials. Although this policy does not prevent the development of friendships or romantic relationships between co-workers, it does establish boundaries as to how relationships are conducted during working hours and within the working environment. Individuals in supervisory or managerial roles and those with authority over others' terms and conditions of employment are subject to more stringent requirements under this policy due to their status as role models, their access to sensitive information, and their ability to affect the employment of individuals in subordinate positions. This policy does not preclude or interfere with the rights of employees protected by the National Labor Relations Act or any other applicable statute concerning the employment relationship. The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Internal policies, website notices, data processing agreements, and data impact assessments for every major US law. When it comes time to create an employee handbook, most employers are quick to come up with policies related to time off, benefits, and pay. But there are other important policies to consider, too—and some of them can be a little more difficult to tackle, such as an employee dating policy. When the romance is going well, others may see the relationship as favoritism, or as a distraction that decreases productivity. On the flip side, if the relationship sours, the breakup could lead to perceived retaliation pay cuts, job transfers, termination, etc.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Workplace Romance 101: What Your Employees Need to Know Before Dating a Coworker

The National Institutes of Health is committed to a work environment that is collegial, respectful, and productive. The purpose of this policy statement is to promote a positive work environment that is free from relationships that cause a real or perceived conflict of interest. If such a relationship exists or develops, it must be disclosed.

REGISTER TO VIEW

REGISTER TO VIEW