The Tribune

February is traditionally known as the month of love. In keeping with the season of Valentine, we briefly take a look at the issue of office romance. The natural question, as we introduce this topic, is: ‘Do we or don’t we?’ For many of us the workplace is where we spend a large percentage of our waking hours. It is not just where we go to do our jobs; it is also the place where we eat many meals, and develop and maintain friendships that last beyond office hours.

Considering the amount of time we spend at work, the office seems like the most logical place to look for romance. In fact, in such a small business community, how do you avoid the potential for budding relationships at work? Some companies, understanding the dangers of love and romance at work, forbid employees to date each other. Many go to the extent of warning, in their policy manuals, not to make advances to team members, while insisting that lovers or married couples cannot work in the same department or company.

How practical is this stance that many have taken? Can, and should, businesses exercise these level of control in forbidding love at work?

Senior executives base their actions on research and evidence that support the fact that, more often than not, office romances seldom last. They also point to the fact that when issues arise in these relationships, tension - and potential upheaval - at work reduces the productivity of employees who once were in love.

Many human resources professionals today view these matters somewhat differently. They claim that policy cannot responsibly regulate matters of the heart, and since people will love who they want to love, there has to be careful management of these workplace situations.

Here, then, are some basic safeguards concerning the regulation of love and relationships at work:

1. Manage and treat each workplace relationship differently and on their own merit. No two relationships are the same, and it is unfair to limit one because of the failure of another.

2. Insist that all domestic or marital issues be left away from the workplace, and state clearly the consequences of such infractions.

3. Encourage love interests to remain professional at work. Intimate lunch dates in the office cafeteria or hot make-out sessions by the office water cooler may not be appropriate.

4. Guard against office romances involving line staff and management. These tend to become more complicated during times of reprimand, promotion and staff appraisals, etc.

5. Be careful not to mention or address the love interest, even if they are married, in employee appraisals, workplace reprimand situations or any other matter. Each employee must stand as a separate entity if fairness is to prevail.

It may not be totally fair in the Bahamas to tell employees not to get their honey where they earn their money, but it is good business practice to remind employees of the need to maintain high levels of efficiency and mitigate all possible dangers to productivity. Love responsibly.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.