How to navigate romantic relationships in the workplace
An office romance isn’t out of the ordinary, but a consensual relationship can still complicate matters in the workplace.
In a world where people are finding their partners online, there are others finding love on-shift.
“It’s not against the law to have a romantic relationship in the workplace,” says Kitchener associate lawyer Matt Jantzi, who works at Cohen Highley LLP.
There aren’t any laws in Ontario or Canada preventing someone from finding love at work, but Jantzi says there are circumstances that could put your love and career on the line.
“The reason being isn’t so much the romance is a problem per se, but what happens when that romantic relationship ends? What happens when things go sour?” says Jantzi.
He adds that it’s important to consider what happens when an employee in a position of power is in a relationship with someone who is lower on the company totem pole.
“They should look at what their workplace policies say on this,” Jantzi says. “And on the flip side, employers should make sure they have policies that address these situations so they’re ready to keep their workplace safe for everybody.”
He suggests transparency about the relationship is often the best practice. That way, employers can ensure the workplace is free from any situations that might be classified as harassment if things go south.
It’s not just the legalities of love to keep in mind, but the social aspect too.
“The perceived wisdom is to kind of avoid it,” says Gary Foster, an associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University whose research focuses on the philosophy of love and moral psychology.
He says there are cases where colleagues are supportive of romantic relationships among co-workers. But it is often perceived as messy when it involves that power imbalance.
“Especially in cases where there is a hierarchy of power. I think it can cause a disruption and it can cause an uneasy atmosphere in the workplace,” says Foster.
So while someone may not love what they do for work, perhaps they’ve found love at work. If so, experts suggest honesty should be top of mind – a cornerstone to making any relationship work.
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