Recent studies have shown that office romances are exceedingly common. In 2014, Vault.com published the results of their Office Romance Survey, which showed that 56% of respondents indicated that they had been involved in an office romance during their career. This number is unsurprising when you consider that most people spend 8 or more hours each workday surrounded by their colleagues, making work their primary single activity on any given day. But how should your office approach romances among employees in order to protect your practice while not unduly encroaching on the lives of your staff?
One approach is to ban romantic relationships among coworkers. This approach is quite common when it comes to relationships between superiors and those they oversee, but less so among co-workers of equal rank. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), their 2013 survey showed that 99% of responding employers banned supervisor-subordinate relationships, while only 12% did so between employees in comparable positions to one another. A ban may sound good to you as the business owner, but it may not be effective in actually eradicating the issue. Plus, it can put you in a bad position if you later learn about the relationship and choose not to act against well-performing employees. This is because sporadic application of rules is of little protection and can lead to discrimination and other labor claims by those to whom to the rule is applied.
Another approach is to require disclosure of office romances. Some offices even require their employees to sign “consent” agreements indicating that the relationship is consensual and that it is taking place independently of the parties’ roles as employees. This can help if there is later an issue that leads to one of the parties being terminated. Keeping open communications between your practice and your staff, especially about office romances, can help to prevent disputes and can lead to fewer sexual harassment claims. Being informed of office breakups, for example, can help you to know in advance to be on the lookout for one scorned party harassing the other. However, you choose to handle the situation, always ensure that your rules are clear (preferably in your handbook) and fairly enforced, so that you can avoid being dragged into the battle should a relationship go sour.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How should offices handle romances among employees to protect the practice without overly intruding into personal lives?
A: Offices can handle employee romances by either banning such relationships, particularly between supervisors and their subordinates, or by requiring disclosure through consent agreements to manage potential conflicts and maintain fairness.
Q: What are the statistics on office romances and their management in workplaces?
A: According to a Vault.com survey, 56% of respondents have been involved in an office romance. The Society for Human Resource Management found that while 99% of companies ban relationships between supervisors and subordinates, only 12% prohibit romances among peers.
Q: What are the risks of banning office romances outright?
A: Banning office romances, especially among peers, might not effectively stop such relationships and could lead to selective enforcement issues. This inconsistent application can result in discrimination claims and other legal challenges.
Q: How can requiring disclosure of office romances benefit a workplace?
A: Requiring employees to disclose romantic relationships and possibly sign consent agreements helps manage potential conflicts and reduce the risk of sexual harassment claims. It keeps communication open and allows management to anticipate issues from office breakups.
Q: What is important when implementing policies on office romances?
A: It’s crucial to have clear, consistently enforced policies outlined in the employee handbook. This clarity helps prevent disputes and ensures that the organization is not unfairly involved in personal relationship issues.
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About Ali Oromchian, Esq.
Your Healthcare Lawyer
Ali Oromchian, JD, LL.M., is a leading legal authority in dental law and the founding attorney of Dental & Medical Counsel, PC, with over two decades of experience. His deep connection to dentistry comes from his wife's nearly two-decade-long career as a pediatric dentist.
This personal insight fuels his dedication to empowering dentists to navigate their legal challenges and achieve their practice goals. In doing so, Ali has helped thousands of doctors open their practices while maintaining legal compliance.
Ali is frequently quoted and contributes articles to dental publications, including the California Dental Society, Progressive Dentist, Progressive Orthodontists, Dentistry Today, Dentaltown, and The New Dentist magazines, further showcasing his commitment to the dental community.
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