Workplace Romances: Should Individuals Engage in Them or Should Individuals Try to Avoid Them?

The objective of this paper is to explore workplace relationships and conclude whether individuals should engage in workplace romances (WRs) or whether individuals should try and avoid them. Since individuals spend so much time at the workplace, the likelihood of individuals engaging in a WR is high. Nowadays, there are not many jobs that put restrictions on whether or not you can date or have a relationship with someone you work with, however, is this a problem? Should there be restrictions in place regarding dating coworkers or bosses for example? The findings suggest that even though there are some benefits to WRs, the majority of results show that WRs are dangerous as they can cause group dysfunctions, make other workers uncomfortable, affect team performance, ruin professional relationships, result in sexual harassment claims, and so much more. This paper is going to examine the effects of WRs at different hierarchical levels and whether favoritism or a conflict of interest is present. It is going to examine the effect of WRs on job productivity, morale, and privacy, as well as explore the effects WRs have on other coworkers and what happens when WRs end. Lastly, this paper will explore the question: should management step in when it comes to WRs?

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Issues with Romance in the Workplace Environment

Canadian Journal of Family and Youth / Le Journal Canadien de Famille et de la Jeunesse ◽

10.29173/cjfy29764 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 41-50

Author(s):

Amanda Murray

Keyword(s):

Sexual Harassment ◽

Daily Basis ◽

Major Effect ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Workplace Environment ◽

Job Productivity ◽

Workplace Environments ◽

Workplace Policies ◽

Divided Subject ◽

A Company

Due to the increased interaction between coworkers on a daily basis, studies show there is a direct correlation with romance that stems from the workplace. While there can be benefits, this paper will show how romances in the workplace can result in negative effects on the workplace environments through a multitude of ways. Workplace Romances deal with issues originating from hierarchal relationships, including sexual harassment and favouritism, which further impacts job productivity and morale. The existence of these forms of relationships may be unavoidable, yet they can also be damaging to a company when relationships become unsuccessful. Workplace Romances can have a major effect on coworkers, including tension and conflict. Workplace policies are a divided subject, as they could perhaps prevent issues, while at the same time, they may create further issues.

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LINKING SEXUAL HARASSMENT, TEAM PROCESSES, AND TEAM PERFORMANCE.

Academy of Management Proceedings ◽

10.5465/ambpp.2003.13793018 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (1) ◽

pp. G1-G6

Author(s):

JANA L. RAVER ◽

MICHELE J. GELFAND

Keyword(s):

Sexual Harassment ◽

Team Performance ◽

Team Processes

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Beyond the Individual Victim: Linking Sexual Harassment, Team Processes, and Team Performance

Academy of Management Journal ◽

10.5465/amj.2005.17407904 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 387-400 ◽

Cited By ~ 96

Author(s):

Jana L. Raver ◽

Michele J. Gelfand

Keyword(s):

Sexual Harassment ◽

Team Performance ◽

Team Processes ◽

The Individual

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Sexual harassment

Human Resource Management International Digest ◽

10.1108/hrmid-03-2015-0042 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 37-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John Chelliah

Keyword(s):

Sexual Harassment ◽

Conflict Of Interest ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Social Implications ◽

Content Type ◽

Compensation Claims ◽

Organizational Preparedness ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose – Highlights the risks faced by Australian employers as a result of sexual harassment by employees and contractors. Design/methodology/approach – Considers the types of approach that are necessary to prevent sexual harassment by employees and contractors in the workplace and events outside the workplace sanctioned by employers. Findings – Explains that employers should ensure that they have robust policies that comply with Australian law and should provide adequate training to protect themselves against costly compensation claims. Practical implications – Guides employers in preventing loss arising from claims of sexual harassment from employees. Social implications – Draws attention to the risks associated with conflict of interest at work. Originality/value – Raises the issue of organizational preparedness to undertake the challenges potentially posed by employees and contractors who may consider sexual harassment as acceptable in the workplace.

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