New survey asks HR about consequences of office romances
More than one in four HR professionals say that dating in the workplace has resulted in termination in the company, according to a new survey.
Nearly 65% of the respondents said their organisation handled workplace romance by issuing a written warning to the people involved.
More than a quarter, however, said an illicit office romance has led to terminations in their organisation.
The poll by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) gathered responses from nearly 2,000 HR practitioners.
The findings come in the wake of the prevalence of office romances. Findings from Zety last year revealed that eight in 10 employees have experienced a romantic relationship, casual dating, or sexual encounter with someone at work.
In fact, the report found that 41% of employees have engaged in a romantic relationship with their direct supervisor, and another 36% had a workplace romance with a colleague.
Amy Dufrane, HRCI CEO, acknowledged that relationships in the workplace are bound to happen.
"The challenge for both HR and managers is to identify and monitor which ones are truly interrupting the work environment and to create an environment in which employees feel comfortable sharing when the lines between their personal and professional lives may blur," Dufrane said in a statement.
She warned that office romances can lead to "messy" situations, such as allegations of sexual harassment, favouritism, and a disruption to company culture.
"Communication is the most important factor so everyone is operating on the same page," Dufrane said.
"HR professionals need to have clear policies in place around supervisor-subordinate relationships and encourage open communication with managers and HR when co-workers in nonsupervisory roles begin a relationship."
