Human resource managementpractitioners, in particular, must takeinto account both the advantages anddisadvantages of workplace romance soas to come up with appropriate policies.
One of my favorite Korean telenovelas is Encounter. In this thoughtfully written TV series, Cha Soo-hyun (played by Song Hye-kyo), who was on a business trip in Cuba, had a brief encounter with free-spirited backpacker Kim Jin-hyuk (played by Park Bo-gum). Spending an unforgettable day together in picturesque spots in Havana, they left a deep impression on each other’s hearts. Things took an interesting turn when they both returned to Seoul. They discovered that their paths are closely intertwined and not easily disentangled.
The romance between Jin-hyuk and Cha Soo-hyun developed in rather complicated circumstances. Jin-hyuk is one of the new employees hired by Dongwha Hotel, whose president and CEO happened to be Soo-hyun. Jin-hyuk and Soo-hyun decided to continue being friends and later became a romantic couple. However, it was not easy for them to remain together because of various obstacles that came their way, including false accusations of sexual harassment and preferential treatment meant to force Soo-hyun to abandon her relationship with Jin-Hyuk and be convinced to remarry into the powerful Taegyeong family.
Which must take precedence?
Given the possible complications of romantic relationships in organizations, it is crucial to find a balance between protecting the company’s interests and respecting the rights and autonomy of employees. Human resource management practitioners, in particular, must take into account both the advantages and disadvantages of workplace romance so as to come up with appropriate policies.
Among the pros of workplace romance are the following: (a) if the relationship is healthy and consensual, it can lead to job satisfaction because employees will feel more connected and supported; (b) employees who establish personal connections at work might decide to stay with the company, thus reducing turnover; and (c) some employees might feel more loyal to a company that allows them to form personal relationships in a respectful environment.
Among the cons of workplace romance are the following: (a) if one partner supervises the other, this can lead to conflict of interest, with personal feelings possibly clouding one’s judgement; (b) the perception among co-workers of bias or favoritism can undermine team morale; (c) workplace relationships can create distractions or tension among employees especially if the romance becomes public and involves drama; (d) in cases where unequal power exists (e.g., supervisor-subordinate), there might be legal ramifications in the form of consent, harassment, or discrimination.
Setting appropriate workplace policies
Some companies might take the convenient route of simply banning workplace romance altogether just to avoid the legal and reputational risks. A non-fraternization policy serves the purpose of avoiding conflicts of interest and reducing the risk of favoritism or unequal treatment. However, this might be considered an extreme position that could work against the company, which could lose valuable talent resulting from such an inflexible policy.
Given the sensitive nature of workplace romance, business owners and HR professionals must put into place clear and fair policies that will mitigate risks without trampling on the rights of employees both to decent work and potentially finding their lifelong partners. These could include the following:
Disclosure policy—Employees in romantic relationships must disclose to the HR Department their relationship with co-workers (especially if one reports directly to the other). This policy must also assure employees that details of their personal relationships will not be shared with the wider company so as to respect the employees’ privacy.
Conflict of interest policy—Employees involved in a romantic relationship must not work directly under one another or in positions where conflicts of interest could arise so as to avoid perceptions of unfairness.
Code of conduct and professionalism—This must be clearly communicated to employees so that they know that personal relationships must neither interfere with work performance nor create a disruptive environment.
Anti-harassment and anti-retaliation policy—To protect individuals from harassment or retaliation, there must be clear guidelines and confidential procedures for reporting grievances, particularly in the event of a problematic situation arising from a workplace romance.
Exit strategy—In case of a breakup, the company must provide clear guidelines on how to handle the transition to ensure that both employees remain professional and that their work relationships do not suffer.
Encounter, the Korean TV series, ended happily, but I wonder whether the same can be said for others who find themselves attracted to their work colleagues and want to pursue a romantic relationship with them. My sense is that we should not get in the way of people’s happiness and fulfillment. People do not just have ‘hands’ and ‘minds’ for work but also ‘hearts’ and ‘souls’ that need nourishment and love.
Raymund B. Habaradas is Full Professor at the Department of Management and Organization of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University (DLSU). He is also the holder of the Ramon V. del Rosario Academic Chair in Entrepreneurship. He can be reached at rbhabaradas@yahoo.com.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.