IT'S OK TO ...
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Mind your own business?
We asked 3 execs who specialize in professional protocol what they’d do if they caught an employee having an affair with a married coworker.
“It depends on what you mean by ‘catch.’ If you catch them in the act, it’s probably best not to take photos as part of the HR investigation! If the catching is via gossip, don’t share that in the company newsletter!
Lauraine Bifulco, President
Vantaggio HR, Ltd. | San Juan Capistrano | vantaggiohr.com
Seriously, though, if there are rumors in the workplace about an alleged affair, it’s best to ask the people who are gossiping to stop. Gossip in the workplace never results in anything positive. If the rumors are substantiated, and if people’s productivity is being impacted by the buzz, you might have to talk to the people who are supposedly having the affair, ask them if the rumors are correct, and also ask them to keep their personal matters out of the workplace.
Some companies have polices that prohibit fraternization in the workplace to avoid problems of safety, security, confidentiality and morale. A workplace romance or affair, whether or not one of the parties is married, could violate this policy and provide grounds for a job reassignment, the request for one party to resign, or even the termination of one or both individuals. The matter would obviously become all the more serious if one of the individuals is the other one’s boss.
In today’s day and age, when we’re all so concerned over discrimination, we need to remember that not all forms of discrimination are illegal. We’re all still allowed to discriminate between right and wrong, good and bad, productive and non-productive, etc. If these people’s behavior is not consistent with the business ethics of the company, that too would be a reason to separate ways with one or both employees.
Tenny Poole, Principal
Positive Talent Strategies | Santa Ana
positivetalentstrategies.com
“I would provide counseling that the employee may not be considering. I would remind him that it can be tricky to date people at work. If a relationship turns sour, it can create difficult situations, possibly even an accusation of sexual harassment. I would encourage him to get sexual harassment training.”
Mitchell Rosenberg, CEO and founder
M.M. Rosenberg & Associates | Laguna Beach
workplace-confidential.com
“If you catch an employee having an affair with a married co-worker, it’s OK to ignore it! In most professional situations that deal with personal issues, the best strategy or course of action is to address personal/professional issues based on performance. If performance is affected, then address the issue based on the drop-off in performance, not focusing just on the personal elements contributing to the poor performance.
“Having said that, if the married co-worker is your spouse, you may want to re-evaluate your strategy.”
If you caught an employee taking credit for a co-worker’s idea, how would you finish the "It's OK to ..." sentence? Go HERE to let us know.
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“It depends on what you mean by ‘catch.’ If you catch them in the act, it’s probably best not to take photos as part of the HR investigation! If the catching is via gossip, don’t share that in the company newsletter!Lauraine Bifulco, President Vantaggio HR, Ltd. | San Juan Capistrano | vantaggiohr.com Seriously, though, if there are rumors in the workplace about an alleged affair, it’s best to ask the people who are gossiping to stop. Gossip in the workplace never results in anything positive. If the rumors are substantiated, and if people’s productivity is being impacted by the buzz, you might have to talk to the people who are supposedly having the affair, ask them if the rumors are correct, and also ask them to keep their personal matters out of the workplace. Some companies have polices that prohibit fraternization in the workplace to avoid problems of safety, security, confidentiality and morale. A workplace romance or affair, whether or not one of the parties is married, could violate this policy and provide grounds for a job reassignment, the request for one party to resign, or even the termination of one or both individuals. The matter would obviously become all the more serious if one of the individuals is the other one’s boss. In today’s day and age, when we’re all so concerned over discrimination, we need to remember that not all forms of discrimination are illegal. We’re all still allowed to discriminate between right and wrong, good and bad, productive and non-productive, etc. If these people’s behavior is not consistent with the business ethics of the company, that too would be a reason to separate ways with one or both employees. Tenny Poole, PrincipalPositive Talent Strategies | Santa Ana positivetalentstrategies.com “I would provide counseling that the employee may not be considering. I would remind him that it can be tricky to date people at work. If a relationship turns sour, it can create difficult situations, possibly even an accusation of sexual harassment. I would encourage him to get sexual harassment training.” Mitchell Rosenberg, CEO and founderM.M. Rosenberg & Associates | Laguna Beach workplace-confidential.com “If you catch an employee having an affair with a married co-worker, it’s OK to ignore it! In most professional situations that deal with personal issues, the best strategy or course of action is to address personal/professional issues based on performance. If performance is affected, then address the issue based on the drop-off in performance, not focusing just on the personal elements contributing to the poor performance. “Having said that, if the married co-worker is your spouse, you may want to re-evaluate your strategy.” If you caught an employee taking credit for a co-worker’s idea, how would you finish the "It's OK to ..." sentence? Go HERE to let us know. |
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