As adults, there are often relatively few opportunities to connect with someone on a romantic level. The bar scene certainly has its drawbacks, and you’re not in a high school or college classroom every day with people your age. It’s not surprising then that many people end up finding love in the office.
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After all, you see the people in your office 8 or more hours a day, 5 days per week. According to Chad Brooks, writing for Business News Daily and citing a 2017 study from CareerBuilder, “41 percent of professionals have dated a co-worker, up from 37 percent [in 2016] and the highest percentage in the past 10 years.”
But there are always potential issues with workplace romances, and they don’t always turn out well. Brooks writes that “30 percent of office romances lead to marriage. On the flip side, however, five percent of employees said they left a job because of an office relationship gone bad.”
For HR professionals, there is always the specter of allegations of harassment and—with relationships involving people at different levels in the hierarchy—allegations of preferential treatment and quid pro quo.
One tool some HR professionals recommend is known as the “consensual relationship contract.” Sound romantic? According to Deb Muller, the idea is that when a workplace couple reports their existence to HR, HR asks them to execute a “contract” that acknowledges:
- The relationship is mutual and consensual
- The relationship was never a condition of the terms of employment
- It is the responsibility of each party to ensure the relationship does not impact job performance
- Company policies specific to office relationships (e.g., a prohibition on working in the same unit and next steps if required)
- HR expectations should the relationship end
Muller writes that consensual relationship contracts are more common than many people think. They can, says Muller, “protect the company should the romance take a turn for the worse,” she writes. “They deliver an added layer of protection for the organization, and HR can communicate the benefits to personnel in a positive, proactive way.”