Workplace relationships can be very challenging legally and ethically for companies. Ethically, people argue that workplace relationships should be freedom of choice by the employees themselves. Everyone should have a right to choose whoever they want to date. Even if an employee is legally bound by a contract to not date by their company there is no guarantee that a relationship between co-workers won't actually occur. Workplace relationships could still occur secretly between workers. Legally, there is not much companies can do besides putting bans or partial bans in contracts signed by the employees. This could create tough situations for businesses. Some employees could quit because …show more content…
They could create an anti-fraternization policy or no-dating policy. To do this, the company would have to define and often describe the conduct they want to prohibit. Will the policy restrict casual dating, relationships, romantic involvement, or socializing,(Rampenthal). All the terms in the policy have to be clearly stated in order to not have loop holes found by the employees. If the policy is not stated clearly, the company could end up going to court and could lose the case because the terms weren't defined clearly. A partial ban be put into effect by the company that prohibits "dating between supervisors and subordinates, and prohibits executive members, such as CEOs, from dating anyone in the workplace,"(McKenna). The company could also prohibit spouses or relatives from working at the same company. Contracts can be used by the company to describe the expected behavior from employees at work. They can include policies that don't allow public displays of affection at work.
Workplace relationships can be good and bad. Workplace relationships allow the freedom of choice and can lift the employees spirits by being able to date openly. But, workplace relationships also give cause to claims of harassment, discrimination, undue influence, and could potentially cause crucial business information to be shared. This creates tough situations for businesses. Workplace relationships can