“Love Contract” is a required document signed by the two employees in a consensual dating relationship that declares that the relationship is by consent. They eliminate the possibility of a later sexual harassment lawsuit when the relationship ends. Love contracts relieve the company of any liability during the time period of the office romance prior to the signing of the contract¹.

Here in the case of Pritam and Jagruti, their employer has interfered in their personal lives by introducing the contract. A company can interfere in their employees life if that is demanded by the work they do. The contract introduced here is vague and it in no ways specifies what would be considered as sexual or romantic behavior within the organization. This leaves a huge gap between the freedom to express your feeling, personal privacy and legally bounded roles and responsibilities of their existing job.

Love Contract is a ‘force fit’ concept put to ensure and put the blame of performance on the relationship, it can therefore lead to stress and further possible decline in performance. Love contracts can fail at times as people might not prefer to declare that they are in a relationship. Consider a situation where Pritam and Jagruti are going through a rough patch in their relationship and really giving a serious thought about being together or not. Under these circumstances this contract is kind of being enforced on them. Here the LC was so administered that it embarrassed the girl. Such a method might have incomprehensible consequences for the weak hearted as the matter addressed in the contract is sensitive and personal.

Organizations should understand one thing before introducing such contracts - presently “It is easy to fall in love but difficult to stay in love”- that is individuals are oscillating between relationships so fast that these contracts need to be modified now and then.

1. http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryl/qt/love_contract.htm