Employee Relationship Proposition
Chandler, Lexi
To: Management Team
Good Morning Team!
It has come to my attention that we have a current workplace relationship within the firm. With Valentine’s Day coming up I don’t want to infringe on anyone’s plans for love! But I do want to address some legal concerns from a management perspective, and propose some policies we may need to consider implementing in the firm’s best interest to have in place for future situations like these. Legal issues we could face include sexual harassment claims, perceived favoritism depending on the dynamic of the relationship, and even workplace retaliation if things go sideways (Danaher, 2023). We can’t realistically remove workplace romance from under our belts, but we could mitigate these risks through policies and other methods. Here are some of my suggestions. Implementing sexual harassment training
and effectively communicating it to our employees and supervisors, will address the overarching concerns and possibilities of romance in the workplace (Mudrick, 2024). It will hold everyone accountable for their actions, mitigate liability as a company, and serve as a preliminary measure taken in advance of the decision to engage in workplace relationships. Some of you may have heard of the term “love contracts”.
This procedure will introduce the opportunity – and expectation – of consensual relationship reporting, and will serve as a reminder for said party to conduct themselves professionally while on site to reduce the possible claims of favoritism (Bowe, 2023).
This can help ensure that these relationships are consensual and promote a healthier and more comfortable workplace environment for all. Lastly, establishing easy access reporting channels for our workers
to express concerns of harassment or other unlawful behavior will create a psychologically safe environment, and an open network for preventative measures to be taken prior to potential reports. Here, we reduce the likelihood of claims reporting fear or inability to address these behaviors, while also creating a safe environment for all. With the possibility of things going wrong, legal parties may look at the preventative measures that we took as a company, and whether or not those measures and policies were followed (Bowe, 2023). For this reason, it’s important that as a team, we decide what measures are best and necessary for the protection of our company and for our employees. I hope we can all agree that love is love! Yet, as a team, it’s our duty to regulate and manage what goes on within these four walls so we can keep being who we are! Let me know what your thoughts are on this issue. My office is always open for you, or you can respond to this email with any further ideas or questions. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best,
Lexi Chandler
