Love and power don't mix
A friend who is a human resources manager is trying to navigate the potential minefield of office romance.
Workplace romance is fairly common, as the office is where we spend a third or more of our time. We all know that office romance is great fodder for gossip mongers, which can severely affect the work environment, impact morale and add stress to not only those involved, but to also fellow employees.
In most cases, romantic involvement between employees poses no threat to the company. But my friend, Anna, points out that boss-subordinate relationships, that do occur sometimes, are especially problematic because they give rise to ethical, professional and even legal issues.
She says many companies, hers included, have tried to discourage or ban dating among staff, but they are not allowed to set down company policies to curb such activities because of legal restrictions. She says one easy and effective method is to 'segregate' office couples to minimise conflicts of interest and avoid hierarchical problems.
Baat Gwaa thinks a good rule of thumb is don't date the boss because love and power are a dangerous mix in the workplace. Just go and get a life elsewhere.
