Mixed signals on office romance

558

The wall between love and work may be crumbling according to a new survey in Fortune Magazine. After it was printed in USA Today recently, it became the hot topic of conversation (and debate) in offices everywhere.

But if you don't look past the surface of this study, the results can lull your lusting heart into a false sense of security. Don't be fooled. The CEO's say office romance is more accepted but look at the contradictions that still make it risky for your career.

The report says that CEO's opinions have shifted in recent years- not because they condone office romance but because they're being forced to tolerate it. Why? Because working long hours, makes it hard for employees to meet people outside the office. In other words, they can no more stamp out sex than they can enforce rules about gossip. So many young people are doing it in spite of "conventional wisdom," it's nearly impossible to legislate against it.

Here's are the positives:

·        Most CEO's agree (79 percent) that office affairs aren't the company's business as long as the unmarried couple is discreet.

·        And most (75 percent) say office romance doesn't result in problems for the company.

·        And many agree (78 percent) that neither employee should have to leave the firm if they're in a relationship.

There is a new body of evidence that the affect on productivity can actually be positive. Couples can show a burst of enthusiasm, they come to work earlier and have work as one of their shared interests.

But now let's dig a little deeper...

·        Almost half (40 percent) say couples working together can hurt productivity.

·        And a strong majority (77 percent) say office romance can increase the company's exposure to sexual harassment lawsuits.

·        Over half (53 percent) feel that marriage to a colleague can damage a manager's career.

·        They say (86 percent) office romance increases the possibility of favoritism or the appearance of favoritism.

·        And office romance can create an unbusinesslike appearance (78%).

Let's face reality. There are still some problems with office romance that aren't going to disappear. For example, couples often complain that senior executives stop seeing their careers as separate.

Other couples say that being married limited their promotion options, since higher ups were reluctant to let them work too closely together.

And when the relationship breaks up--as it usually does--the spill-over can messy, sometimes even resulting in one person leaving the organization so they don't have to face the other person.

But in spite of it all, it looks as if the trend will continue. As the old employment covenant fades away, people are less willing to let their employers dictate what they do in their private lives. And as companies continue to help employees balance home and work lives, it will be impossible to talk out of both sides of the corporate mouth.

Yes the wall between love and work is crumbling a bit but remember you can still be hit by the falling debris.

Internal Consulting Skills for HR Professionals is Joan Lloyd’s intensive, interactive full-day workshop for HR practitioners.  Human resources professionals—both functional experts and generalists—have a new found opportunity to act as internal consultants who can help their organizations with organizational changes, performance coaching, conflict mediation and other value-added services. This workshop focuses on giving HR professionals the tools and strategies they need to help their organizations as well as advance their careers.

As a participant, you will have an opportunity to work on the problems and opportunities you face in your own organization, as well as to hear innovative ideas from other organizations.  Few training opportunities provide this level of intimate, hands-on experience. Call us for information about having Joan Lloyd work with your HR Team (800) 348-1944.  (Occasionally, we run this workshop as an open enrollment training offering.  Subscribe to Joan Lloyd’s “Article of the Week,” where we announce these sessions, as they are scheduled.)