Why Your Business Needs a Personal Relationships Policy

Despite many employees working remotely, office romance is on the rise. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) research shows that thirty-three percent of US workers report they are in or have been involved in a workplace romance, 6% higher than pre-pandemic. Fifty percent have or had a crush on someone they work with. 

Given these statistics, in order to protect yourself from harassment lawsuits and losing employees, here’s our guide to creating a great personal relationships policy:

• Relationships between managers and their direct reports are verboten as are relationships between any executive and a subordinate.

• Encouragement of open communication with management or HR so relationships are not hidden. Don’t bother with a blanket ban on all relationships, it’s not realistic and will lead to deception.

• Document everything, from a formal acknowledgment of a relationship to evidence in an email. Documenting everything will help protect your company if things go south and one party alleges harassment.

• Outline expected behavior for those in a relationship. Don’t allow any public displays of affection.

• Decide whether those in a relationship can be working on the same team, and if not, what the arrangements will be should one of them need to be moved.

• Make sure your formal, written personal relationship policy is distributed among all staff, and have them sign to acknowledge they have read and understood it. Include this in your onboarding process, and ensure that all employees receive sexual harassment training.

Be aware that with the #MeToo movement, workplace romances can land you in some pretty dangerous territory.  If you don’t have an HR department, get help from an HR company or a labor attorney to establish a policy that meets the needs of your company and protects you down the line.