How to Handle a Workplace Romance as a Manager

When sparks fly in the workplace, managers may find themselves putting out fires.

Love can unfortunately hurt. But what happens when love starts to hurt the bottom line? It's a problem faced by many managers who find themselves caught in the middle of an office romance or a bad breakup between employees. While all may be fair in love and war, office romances have the potential to spiral out of control, creating inequality in the office, acrimony amongst team members and even lawsuits against a company.

Instructions

1. Evaluate the nature of an office relationship brought to your attention. Co-worker relationships can create their fair share of problems in the workplace; but manager/employee relationships can be a professional and legal minefield. Assessing the nature of the relationship and the parties involved can help you make smart management moves later on.

2. Check your company's policies. Chances are, your company does not have clearly defined rules on office relationships. Most corporate rules on the subject, if they exist, are nebulous at best and address only clear cases of preferential or destructive treatment caused by an office relationship. First, be sure the office relationship is not in clear violation of company rules.

3. Remain open-minded and impartial when it's time for mediation. Remember, consensual workplace romances are not illegal; hookups and breakups are a natural part of adult life. If one party in an office romance feels they need to transfer to a different position or department after a relationship goes sour, do your best to meet the request. A poisonous relationship between an ex-couple can do more damage to an office culture than losing one skilled employee.

4. Consider the legal consequences. If one party in an office relationship is receiving preferential treatment by the other party based on their position, or acrimony between the two parties is impacting the workplace, you need to take action. Failure to address preferential treatment based on an office romance can lead to lawsuits against a company; bad blood between an ex-couple can lead to employees hitting a company with a hostile workplace lawsuit.

5. Rely on conflict management first, termination second. An office romance is not an immediate cause for transfer or termination. Adept conflict management, involving the entire human resources team of a company or department, can regulate an office romance gone bad or one that is affecting the bottom line. That doesn't mean termination shouldn't be an option, just that you should only use it in extreme circumstances. The key to successfully managing a relationship that begins to affect the workplace is action. Too many managers and employers turn a blind eye to office romances, and only act when the lawsuit is in the works.

References

• "The Economic Times"; How to Handle An Office Romance, Especially After a Messy Breakup; Ravi Teja Sharma; May 1, 2011
• The Galatas Group: Office Romance Truth or Dare?
• "Forbes"; How Companies Should Handle Office Romances; John A. Pearce II; May 5, 2010