What employers are doing
As a result, some companies choose to create policies addressing workplace romance. Of those with policies, few require employees to refrain from romantic relationships altogether — such a policy can be extremely difficult to enforce. However, many employers are still using policies to outline what is and is not acceptable in the workplace.
At the very least, a company should have a policy defining sexual harassment and establishing a no-tolerance protocol. But, some company policies include agreements stating that an involved employee will not seek an immediate supervisory role over a romantic partner. Others ask employees not to engage in any physical displays of affection in the workplace.
Some employers’ policies go even further by requiring employees to report information about romantic relationships in the workplace. For instance, a policy or agreement might require employees to agree to do any or all of the following:
• Acknowledge when a relationship materializes;
• Acknowledge that the company’s sexual harassment policy
is understood and agree to abide by it;
• Promise to act professionally at all times while at work (both while in a relationship and after it
ends); and/or
• Promise to notify the human resources department if or when the relationship ends. This puts an employer on notice to watch for any incidents of sexual harassment and also identifies the time in which a relationship was consensual.
Beyond the policy
While policies can be helpful in regard to personal relationships in the workplace, it is still important for companies to seriously address any claim of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment training and awareness
programs can help to prevent some claims, but employers who receive a complaint of harassment should conduct a thorough, prompt, and impartial investigation, no matter what the relationship between the parties involved. Katie Loehrke is a certified Professional in Human Resources and an editor with J. J. Keller & Associates, a nationally recognized compliance resource firm. Loehrke specializes in employment law topics such as discrimination, privacy
and social media, and affirmative action. She is the editor of J. J. Keller’s Employment Law Today newsletter and its Essentials of Employment Law manual. For more information, visit www. jjkeller.com/hr and www. jjkellerlibrary.com.