✍ Does your organization have a formal policy around relationships at work?
Context: We’re a startup with a lot of young 20 and 30s year olds and i can already start to see the potential for a lot of relationships to form…
Lisa Van Lenner, VP, Operations and People & Culture at Mythical:
Our official line is that we don’t promote romantic relationships, but understand they happen. However, we strictly do NOT allow managers/supervisors/execs to engage in romantic relationships We do require all romantic relationships to be disclosed – even with third party vendors. This last part reinforces our standard of professional and ethical conduct, helps maintain the company’s integrity, and prevents conflicts of interest or other issues that could harm the company or its employees.
Disclosure happens through a form signed by both parties that says the relationship will not adversely affect the work environment or create problems in the workplace.
✍ What would you do if you found out that a manager and their direct report started dating?
Context: I’m an HR manager and I’ve had several employees casually mention their relationship to me (no formal submissions to HR though)
Laura GarcĂa-Courrau, Global Director of HR at Our World Energy:
The approach is the trickiest part here. I think this depends on the relationship with this manager and/or this employee. If there is a good relationship, I’d just approach them (this is what I have done). If it’s not against company policy there is nothing wrong with this, it just needs to be documented and liability needs to be removed.
What we’ve done is have the direct report move out from under that manager’s org. There cannot be any direct or skip-level reporting line. Have them sign a consensual relationship agreement, and be done!
