Romance is in the air in the month of February but it might not be just St. Valentine’s fault. L’amour at the workplace is definitely not new and increasing number of studies show that employees are having a fling in the office whether their bosses like it or not and in some cases, the flings are with managers themselves.
According to Vault.com’s 2014 Office Romance Survey, 56% of business professionals surveyed said they have participated in some type of workplace relationship. Nineteen per cent of men and 12% of women said that they had random hook-ups. Figures also show that there manager-subordinate relationships are just as present. Twenty per cent of women have dated a supervisor while only 9% of men have dated their boss. Among managers, 25% of men said that they have dated a subordinate while only 10% of women have dated their subordinate.
As much as workplace romance is prevalent, both employees and employers need to keep in mind the pros and cons of the situation. In an article in Psychologytoday.com, Dr Susan Krauss Whitbourne cites research has found that people in work-related relationships perform better at work and feel more connected to their organisation. Also, she says that there is a spillover effect in which the worker’s positive emotional reactions to their romance impact their feelings about their jobs.
Moreover, workplace romance can turn into long-term relationships and marriage. A HR manager of a MNC that I spoke to a couple of years ago mentioned that people spend many hours at work that increases the chance of employees dating one another. So, why not allow it since it can be positive thing for both employees and employer?
Yes, it may prove positive and productive but there are several pitfalls in workplace relationship that both employers and employees need to mull over. If a couple fall out with each other and they work in the same department or even the same team, would it be awkward for other colleagues and would it affect work productivity? What if the couple were a subordinate and a manager and should other employees be worried that there could be favouritism? Or worse, what happens when sexual harassment charges are filed if a relationship sours in the office?
Not all organisations have specific HR policies with regards to office romance and not all employees may even be aware of it. However, the onus is on both employers and employees to give a direction when it comes to an office romance. Organisations can have specific policies with regards to workplace relationship and train managers to handle the situation. In Managing Workplace Romance research, the authors state that “managers need to manage workplace romances in order to keep control on the outcome of the employees and the overall performance of the organisation that directly affects its competitive advantage.”
Employees can take a cue from workplace policies and culture when it comes to their office romance – in a more “open” office environment, employees can let their managers know if they are involved in a long-term relationship and managers can evaluate the situation to take appropriate measures, especially if the couple works in the same team. Employees can also be discreet and behave professionally at the workplace with their partners.
Whatever the situation, both companies and employees understand that l’amour at the office is here to stay and have to understand the pros and cons of it.