So if there’s a little flirting over the water cooler this Valentine’s Day, keep in mind that love and sex in the workplace can easily lead to problems such as performance issues, accusations of favouritism, blackmailing, bullying and sexual harassment.
“Studies show that 11% of Australians and a whopping 33% of Americans fall in love at the office, and this is likely to increase in the future as people spend more of their waking hours at work and in high pressure jobs.”
Yet many employers struggle with the challenges posed by workplace relationships which can have significant effects on the individuals involved as well as the broader group. For example, maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, particularly if the romance is between a supervisor and a subordinate, can often be difficult.
In addition, while performance does not necessarily drop in a stable workplace relationship, other team members often perceive a drop in productivity, says Neale.
In one recent study, 70 percent of people agreed workplace relationships led to a drop in productivity due to chatting, socialising, long lunches and lengthy discussions at work.
Finally, failed workplace romances can easily lead to harassment and discrimination claims.
“To avoid expensive harassment claims, organisations need a strong policy on handling workplace relationships”, says Onetest.
“Given that workplace romances are highly likely to occur, organisations should have a set of “rules for engagement” for workplace romance, rather than outlawing it entirely.”
These rules include: having a comprehensive and enforceable harassment policy with access to an adequate complaint procedure; ensuring that policies on relationships between co-workers are clear; and having effective supervision with supervisors properly trained to manage their work relationships with subordinates.
Onetest is an employment solutions company which combines the proven principles of psychology with leading technology to deliver customised online HR solutions that help organisations recruit, develop and retain talented individuals.
Editors:
For an extended article on the causes of workplace relationships and the strategies for employers to handle them OR for an interview on this topic, please contact Onetest, on 1300 137 937 or marketing@onetest.com.au