Sense and Sensibilities

The situation highlighted in this forum is a historically common phenomenon. Studies have clearly shown that romantic liaisons between employees have been on an increase over the past few years. Such a trend is rightly being attributed to the long hours which people spend at work in this competitive world. It makes for a situation in which those with whom we work are not just restricted to being our colleagues but our primary source of social contact. It is therefore but natural that romantic relationships start developing.

There was a time, not so long ago, when such relationships were better kept under cover. Though not taboo they could be a major cause of awkwardness and embarrassment for the involved parties. However, with changing times, the stigma associated with office romance has slowly lost out on its steam. The new corporate culture has blurred the lines between work and personal lives.

However, for businesses, office romances do have the potential to complicate the work environment in a lot of ways. It could be one of the primary causes of loss of individual productivity due to distraction, jealousy among co-workers and accusations of favouritism. A relationship gone sour could leave a really bad taste and the repercussions are bound to show on work. It could also antagonize the involved individuals against each other which is definitely not in the interest of the firm. And the worst fear that could come true for a company is the charges of sexual harassment against an employee which is a distant though a possible outcome.

I would like to point out the fact that any of the above mentioned issues could creep in due to the way an employee leads his life beyond his working hours as well. The loss in productivity could be attributed to a personal crisis or relationship with someone outside the circle of colleagues. It is after all an individual and their way of living which shall be most important determinant of behaviour at work place. However, it is to some extent justified on the employer’s part to be genuinely concerned about the issue of dating colleagues.

So, the question we are faced with is how should it be dealt with? Is making couples sign contracts the only solution? For that matter, is it a solution at all?

I have worked in an organization which had a policy of rewarding its employees those who married their colleagues. The fact that I would have been one among those who would have been rewarded is a different issue all together. What is important is that we do have organizations which have evolved a much better approach towards the situation. For instance, I would like to believe that the incentive associated with establishing a meaningful relationship would have been hugely responsible for couples to progress from dating to the next level. Keeping with a similar view, a company could definitely come up with a middle path to handle such situations.

Also, one should not take a lop-sided view by only looking at the pitfalls associated with a relationship in office. The benefit of happily partnered employees is also a possible outcome. This world has witnessed a lot of such examples like that of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy. It is true that the apprehension is always about the negative aspects of office romances. At the same time, it is equally accepted that a work place romance might result in a perfectly happy relationship. Therefore any policies implemented should be clear and specific about what exactly they prohibit.

The Do’s and Don’ts should be clearly stated without leaving scope for any ambiguity. Setting these ground rules is the first step. An open policy should be advocated. Employees should be requested to disclose a relationship if it becomes romantic. It is but imperative, that to encourage such an environment, the company rather than imposing penalties and contracts is willing to work with them. Instead of making employees forcibly sign a contract, it would be good idea for the higher management to talk to the involved couples and pre-empt the potential problems. Policies on sexual harassment should have been rolled out for all employees from the time of joining the organization as a part of the employment contract. Relationship or not, instances of sexual misconduct have become common place these days and it is the best interest of a company that it saves itself from such embarrassment. The company should show respect for an individual’s privacy making sure not to overstep it. What needs to be made clear is that integrity and performance at work place are of primary concern.