Romantic Relationships at the Workplace

Romantic relationships at the workplace can be a very tricky issue. An employer obviously desires an environment where people feel friendly and comfortable with each other. The need for rules and regulations would only make working for an organization less appealing. However, it is important that when a relationship does occur, it does not affect the decision-making process of either individual and, more importantly, does not affect other employees. This is what causes such a dilemma when it comes to dating in the workplace.

People work longer hours today, which creates fewer opportunities to meet others outside of the office. Many people meet at work because that’s where they spend the majority of their time. It would seem that the most common place for socializing would be at work, where people with similar interests are together for the majority of their time. Therefore, “it’s no surprise that budding romances blossom among those with whom we spend the most time,” said Leemor Amado, an associate practice consultant at American Management Association (AMA). “Company initiatives that foster employee socialization, work teams that bring different groups of people together to collaborate, as well as casual dress codes may help to create environments where colleagues feel more comfortable dating.”(amanet.org)

AMA surveyed its executive members and corporate customers about their office policies and personal attitudes about workplace dating. Of the 391 managers and executives who responded, 30% admitted to having dated someone from work. Of those 116 people, 44% said their dating led to marriage; another 23% said their dating led to a long-term relationship that either continues or has since ended; and 33% reported that office dating led to short-term relationships. (amanet.org)

Despite all the time spent at work, managers still need to be able to factor out personal issues and focus on the performance of those who work under them. Relationships among equal-level employees typically lead to the fewest issues, but people who are on different ranks in the corporate ladder have so much to consider: Favoritism is one of the most common byproducts that a supervisor may fall victim to, with reverse favoritism coming into play when that supervisor overcompensates for a relationship.

A company can choose to create regulations in order to monitor performance. Taking this type of approach, however, could be harmful for an organization that sets out its rules in stone. This can create the feeling among employees that the company is not treating them like adults.

Utilitarianism is a theory that suggests an action is right if it maximizes happiness for the greatest number of people over the long term. It also suggests that everyone’s happiness is of equal value. In other words, when we make a moral choice, we must do a cost-benefit analysis where the common denominator is human happiness. An action is good if it creates more happiness that unhappiness. We are concerned here with everyone who might be involved. Each person’s welfare must be considered, and considered equally.

Deontological ethics would favor implementing a policy prohibiting dating in the workplace if other people’s lives are affected. An example of this would be whether a supervisor is able to evaluate the subordinate in a fair and equal way if he or