Office romances may make for good TV shows, but is that really something that you want happening at your company? Many business owners have decided that they do not, and they put no-dating policies in place so that coworkers have to keep their relationships professional.
Naturally, though, some workers may resent this type of restriction. Is it wise to have a policy like this or do you not need to worry about it?
Why a policy like this makes sense
No matter how employees feel about it, a no-dating policy can be good for the company. For one thing, it may increase productivity if workers are only focused on their jobs. It can also reduce office drama and make it so that a spurned employee doesn’t feel the need to move on to a new job somewhere else.
The biggest reason to have this policy, though, is that it can help prevent instances of sexual harassment and related issues. When these things do happen, there will be less room for dispute — with one employee claiming the two were a couple, for instance, while the other denies it.
Plus, you do not want to have employees dating their supervisors or others that they report to on the job. Allowing that opens the door for a lot of legal issues, such as supervisors showing favoritism or pressuring employees into relationships in order to keep their jobs.
What if you do run into issues?
No matter what your policies are, there’s a chance that you could run into some legal issues between your employees. If your company is facing a lawsuit, you must know what options you have to protect the reputation of your brand and your future.