Chantal Gautier, Senior Lecturer in Organisational Psychology and Sexologist, has written an article for The Conversation, regarding romantic relationships at the workplace. In the piece, she covers four questions everyone should consider before jumping into a workplace related romance.
Chantal Gautier, Senior Lecturer in Organisational Psychology and Sexologist, has written an article for The Conversation, regarding romantic relationships at the workplace. According to the 2020 YouGov poll, about 18% of Brits met their current or most recent partner through work. Gautier refers to research, showing that people seem to be looking for like-minded partners with similar personality traits, backgrounds, beliefs, and ideas.
She begins by explaining how hierarchical workplace relationships could be the subject of gossip and frowned upon, while also having a negative influence on one’s career. She points out that according to research, the lower-status person in a hierarchical relationship is less likely to be promoted or recommended for training opportunities than their colleagues who are not in such relationships.
The importance of how workplace romances affect performance is also discussed. Gautier states that feelings of love and affection can result in lower productivity and suggests minimising contact that is not work-related in the workplace.
According to Gautier, many employers deploy so called ‘love contracts’ written rules and policies to confirm that the relationship is consensual and voluntary. These documents are designed to protect the couple, and the employer from being sued for harassment in case the relationship falls apart. She continues by explaining the issues with these contracts in terms of the Human Rights Act.
Finally, Gautier covers the possibility that a couple can split up, causing complications in the working environment. As a solution, she proposes workplace counselling and support programmes, designed to help employees going through tough times.
At the end of the article Gautier concludes: “Ultimately, how employers choose to manage romance at work depends on acknowledging that workplace relationships do happen and understanding that happier and more satisfied employees tend to be more productive and collaborate better in teams. It is in employers’ best interests to support their employees’ wellbeing, even (and especially) when those employees fall in love.”
Read the full article on The Conversation’s website.
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