Workplace Romance is Unethical

Department of Management Sciences

Training and Development

Submitted to: Madam Komal Nadir

Submitted by: Barza Mir

Azeem Bhatti

Naila Khan

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 Workplace Romance is Unethical

Training & Development

Report
on

Workplace Romance is Unethical

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 Workplace Romance is Unethical

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We would like to thank few people, because without their help and concern
our task shouldn’t have been completed. We would like to thank the
Almighty Allah for helping us a lot for making as capable to complete this
project then thanks to our all teachers who supported us and guided us
throughout the project and to tell us where we are lacking and what steps,
could be taken to overcome them, so that we’ll get the better results in our
report. And, last but not the least, our Parents who have supported us and
have prayed a lot for so our real success that we are here with the venture in
our hands, after the hard work of few weeks.

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Contents

Page No.

Workplace Romance
1
Problems a Workplace Romance Can Cause
3
Dealing with Office Romances
4
Actions to Consider When Preparing Such a Policy
5
Workplace Romance Policy
7
Research on Romance at Work
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Provide Training about Work Romances
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Islamic Perspective
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Why Workplace Romance Is Not Wise
9
Workplace romance law in Pakistan
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Dark Side of Workplace Romance
12

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Conclusion
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Recommendations
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References
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DEBATE: THE WORKPLACE ROMANCE IS UNETHICAL

Debaters: Naila Khan (005)

Barza Mir (021)
Azeem Bhatti (036)

“Allah says; he is your best servant who is honest and faithful to you”

Workplace Romance

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“Hard work, not workplace romance, should be the primary tool to get
ahead in your career. Sleeping your way to the top is a Hollywood cliché,
not a viable option for advancing your job prospects”
Jeff Cohen

If you deeply analyze the quotation he is also against the workplace romance, as he
highlited the point that hard work is the key to your career growth not the work place
romance.
Romantic relationships between two people employed by the same employer—are as
common now as they have been throughout history.
For businesses, workplace romances carry with them the potential to complicate the work
environment and cause difficulties of various types—lost productivity due to distraction;
accusations of favoritism; jealousy among co-workers; the potential for an antagonistic
mood should the relationship end poorly; and, in a worst-case scenario, allegations of
sexual harassment in the event that one of the parties asserts that he or she was coerced.
Because of these potential pitfalls, many firms have policies that were established to try
and discourage or even prohibit such liaisons from forming.

Unfortunately, most businesses have no policy for dealing with office romances.
Management neither wants (nor perceives any necessity) to face the discomfort of dealing
with co-worker affairs.Russian Roulette with the future of the business. Consider
these two situations:

 An intimate involvement between a supervisor and a subordinate results in anger

and frustration among other subordinates, because they perceive that the lover
subordinate receives favoritism. And if one of the parties is married, it is a time
bomb waiting to explode. Either way, this environment leaves the company
exposed to third-party sexual harassment lawsuits, with the plaintiffs claiming
they were denied promotions or raises because of favoritism inappropriately
bestowed upon an office lover.

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 A romance between two people in the same department may not be disruptive at
the time. However, if the two people break up and still have to work with each
other, the result can be a disaster. In the subsequent tension-charged atmosphere,
employees may take sides with one or the other of the ex-couple. Talented
employees critical to business growth can turn resentful and leave the company.

An online survey of 19,348 people conducted by MSNBC.com and Elle magazine

concluded that, 53 percent of intimate employee relationships end within one year and 84
percent of these relationships end within five years.Therefore, the majority of intimate
employee relationships will break up, with the potential to cause some degree of
disruption within the company.Then isnt this important to think that the relationship
which will die after few year then why a person commit to such reltionship.One of the
best ways to eliminate the potential for inappropriate romantic behavior is to set written
ground rules for romantically involved employees. When such a relationship is made
known to management, a senior manager who is above both people in the management
chain should meet with both employees individually to openly discuss the situation.
Above two situations and survey is in our favor of debate.

Problems a Workplace Romance Can Cause

David Letterman’s sexual escapades with female staff members have focused attention
on the problems associated with workplace romances and office affairs.
The lesson here is that you should think long and hard before becoming romantically or
sexually involved with someone on your job. Before you take the plunge, give serious
thought to some of the problems that can occur.
Below is a list of some of the problems that can occur:

 Your productivity or the productivity of those around you may suffer.

 If your office romance results in favored treatment with regard to work
assignments, raises, promotions or company perks your co-workers will resent
you.

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 Jealous co-workers may attempt to damage your work.

 Your coworkers’ perceptions of your work performance may be lowered.
 If your workplace lover is married, or in a committed relationship, many of your
workmates will form a negative opinion of you, or question your judgment.
 You could be blame of creating, or contributing to a hostile workplace
environment.
 If you’re a woman, a series of workplace romances may earn you a reputation as
someone who tries to sleep her way to the top.
 If you’re a man, a series of workplace romances may earn you a reputation as
someone who preys on female workmates.
 Depending on your company’s policy regarding workplace affairs, you may be
transferred to another department in the company, or to another location – even
out of state.
 Becoming romantically involved with someone at work could even cost you your
job.
 You could become the subject of office gossip.

 A workplace romance with a superior will cause workmates to assume you’re

getting preferential treatment, even if that is not the case.
 No matter how competent you are, some of your workmates will always attribute
your job advancement to your workplace romance.
 Resentment could develop in a peer-to-peer workplace romance if one of you
moves up the corporate ladder and the other one doesn’t.
 You and your workplace lover may find yourselves in competition with each
other.

If your workplace romance should come to an untimely end, you could be faced with
an entirely different set of problems.

 Things could become awkward, if the two of you still have to work together.

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 You could find yourself facing sexual harassment charges, even long after the
relationship is over.
 If your former workplace lover is a vindictive person, he or she may attempt to
damage your career.
 A jilted workplace lover above you in the chain of command can negatively
influence the kind of work assignments, raises, or advancement opportunities you
receive.
 Your former lover could spread nasty gossip about you on the job.

Dealing with Office Romances

Most experts suggest that a company establish some sort of policy addressing this issue
so that it is not put in a position of being reactionary when confronted with the first such
romance. By planning ahead, incorporating guidelines on workplace romances into the
employment policies, and publicizing these policies, a company can remove confusion
and in most cases the concern about favoritism.

Small companies may be in a more difficult position than larger firms when it comes to
managing workplace romances. In a large firm, an office romance may be more easily
worked around. A large firm has multiple departments into which employees who are
romantically involved may be transferred so that they do not work as closely together.

Arlene Vernon, a human resource consultant explained it this way in an interview

with journalist Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn, in a Pool & Spa News article

"It becomes an issue for a smaller organization because everyone's watching and
wondering if this one's going to last. It becomes this whole story. You might as well turn
it into a sitcom…. I think it is actually harder for the smaller organizations than the larger
ones. It can be more invisible in the larger ones."

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Knowing what to include in a workplace policy on dating or romantic relationships is not

easy. Banning dating among employees may not be a reasonable solution, although
exceptions can certainly be made in instances where one of the principals involved has a
supervisory role over the other. One concern with a newly forming romance in the
workplace is that it will be accompanied by inappropriate displays of affection in the
office. This, in turn, can cause an uncomfortable environment for others and certainly
presents a less than professional image. A company may address this concern by
establishing an on-the-job code of conduct that specifically addresses a professional work
environment and prohibits "public displays of affection."
As a minimum, any policy designed to regulate dating or office romances should be
designed to protect the company against sexual harassment liability and ensure a
professional work environment.

Actions to Consider When Preparing Such a Policy

 State what is not acceptable—Define in the policy exactly what types of

relationships will and will not be tolerated. Most human resource professionals
recommend establishing policies that prohibit supervisors from dating a direct
report. Policies may also note that staff members are expected to behave
professionally and that romantic trysts should be kept out of the work
environment.
 Make penalties clear—define what actions will be undertaken if the policies are
violated—transfer, demotion, termination.
 Address sexual harassment head on—State outright that any alleged sexual
harassment will be handled in a legally proper manner. Managers must make
employees aware that the company has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual
harassment. Information should be provided about the consequences of such
behavior. Companies may even require that their employees sign documentation
indicating that they understand and will abide by the policy.
 Reinforce policies on sexual harassment—provide training for all
supervisors/managers about sexual harassment in all its forms. Educate them on

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the various signs that an office romance is having a negative impact on the
company's efficiency (these signs can range from increased workplace friction to
unprofessional displays of affection, anger, or other emotions).
 Show respect for privacy—do not overstep boundaries of employee privacy. A
company needs to make it abundantly clear that workplace performance is its
primary concern.
 Encourage open communications—Consider requesting employees to disclose a
relationship if it becomes romantic. This may be a difficult task for employees if
the penalties for such a relationship are severe. If, on the other hand, the company
is willing to work with the couple then it is more likely that they will
communicate their involvement in an appropriate manner.
Do not flinch from intervening promptly in situations where a workplace relationship is
having a detrimental effect on business productivity. In cases of sexual harassment
claims, more often than not, court decisions on liability have little to do with whether a
company had a dating policy in place and everything to do with how a company
responded when a complaint was lodged. Prompt response to workplace issues that arise
from an office romance gone sour can go far toward addressing the problem.
These polices are in favor of our topic.
Workplace Romance Policy

Workplace romance is a worry to employers, but it is not the major faux pas, it may have
been in earlier years. In fact, a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Workplace Romance Survey found that most companies surveyed do not even have a
formal, written, romance policy.
Of the 617 members who responded to the SHRM survey, 72 percent do not have a
written policy; 14 percent say they have an unwritten, but well understood, norm in their
workplace. Thirteen percent do have a policy

Respondents who discourage, or the seven percent who forbid, dating in their workplace,
cite concerns with potential sexual harassment claims, retaliation and workplace

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disharmony if the relationship should end. They are concerned about potentially lowered
morale and the productivity of both the dating couple and their coworkers.

Research on Romance at Work

In the Journal of Management, May-June, 1998 issue, Gary N. Powell summarized the
research that has been conducted over the past few decades about office romance.

He found that "at some times, workplace romances present a threat to organizational
effectiveness through their negative effects on participants and coworkers.

"Two kinds of romances have the most damaging effect on group morale and
organizational effectiveness, (a) hierarchical romances in which one participant directly
reports to the other, and (b) utilitarian romances in which one participant "satisfies
personal needs in exchange for satisfying the other participant's task related and/or
career-related needs."

Additionally, "Forty-one percent of employed Americans ages 25-40 have admitted to

having engaged in an office romance, according to a joint survey sponsored by Glamour
magazine and Lawyers.com." The study states further that respondents had the most
problems with romance when a manager dated a reporting staff person.

Provide Training about Work Romances

Provide training for supervisors and managers about how to discreetly address overt
sexual behavior in the workplace. You will also want the supervisors comfortable
coaching the dating couple if the relationship results in lowered morale and productivity
for themselves or coworkers.

Office relationships are often the focus of intense gossip, so supervisors need to know
how to keep their ears open for work and career damaging behaviors. Supervisors need to
know the appropriate disciplinary actions to take if the romance derails and resultant

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employee behavior disrupts the workplace. If romance becomes sexual harassment,

supervisors need to know, working in concert with HR, what to do to take immediate
action.

The SHRM study found that only 12 percent of the surveyed organizations provided
training to managers and supervisors about how to manage a workplace romance

Islamic Perspective

Expert Hayat Anne Collins Osman - 10/6/2006 answers the following question

Are having boyfriends/girlfriends (lovers), though unmarried, allowed in Islam?

Allah, who knows what's best for us, better than we can possibly know ourselves, forbids
all types of romance outside marriage. Allah never prohibits us those thing which are
good for us until it would have a strong logic behind that prohibition, so one reason for
this is that it protects people from awkward entanglements and from hurt feelings. A
Muslim forms a romantic relationship only with the person to whom he/she has made a
lifelong commitment, and, of course, has the comfort and security of knowing that the
spouse similarly has never had a relationship with anyone to whom he/she was not
committed. Until marriage, Muslims should not speak of love, touch, be alone together,
or see each other improperly dressed. So if Allah forbade this then who we creatures are
to be agreeing that work place romance is ethical.
Islam discourages friendship between men and women who are not close relatives (a
woman's father, brother, son, nephew, uncle, grandfather, grandson, etc.) because of the
danger of inappropriate romantic entanglements. Men and women, when necessary, can
work together, but should be careful not to form the kind of warm friendship that could,
especially when a marriage is under pressure, lead to an office romance. Ideally men
work in one room and women in another, and, of course, in the workplace as well as
elsewhere, everyone must be careful to avoid speaking of personal matters, speaking
privately, looking each other in the eyes.

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Answer of Hayat Anne Collins Osman is in our favor of debate.

Why Workplace Romance Is Not Wise

For the servay by Glenn Magas he says that

 The problem is, a work romance is no different than an outside work romance
except, if problems arise like they do in all relationships, it affects work directly.
It can also affect other people at work who are not directly involved in that
relationship.

 A workplace romance can also affect a conflict of interests. For example: if two
people are ‘involved’ at work and have a certain opinion on a work related
project, their personal relationship may influence a decision in one way or the
other. It can be a difference of opinion, or a common one. It is difficult enough
when two people without a workplace romance come in conflict with one another,
adding a romance to the mix is extremely problematic.

 A workplace romance can also be against company policy. If this policy is

violated, it could mean the termination of two jobs and not just one. This is a
financial burden to the company and it also affects the livelihood of two workers
who were willing to take the risk – their job, salary and livelihood, for a
workplace romance.

 Finding distractions at work is easy. But adding a workplace romance that starts
with personal messages via email, phone calls, breaks as mini-dates, etc. all leads
to lack of productivity and commitment to why each worker was hired – to work

Above all points are in favor of our debate.

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What's an employer to do to protect itself and how he properly manage such

relationships?

The increase in workplace romance is not surprising. People working together tend to
have similar backgrounds, talents, and goals. Of course, all this office romance is not
without its difficulties.

Relationships between co-workers can, and often do, end in nasty break ups, with a
volatile workplace atmosphere resulting. For example, the spurned partner may file a
sexual harassment claim against the employer, alleging that he or she was "pressured"
into an unwanted relationship.

Additionally, relationships between a superior and subordinate may result in undue

favoritism toward the subordinate. Even where they do not, other employees may
perceive that they do. All this creates a work atmosphere that is the equivalent of a
ticking time bomb waiting to blow.

Instead of banning relationships in the workplace, employers should focus on properly

managing them:
Train Employees in Advance - Employers need to provide advance training for all
employees, but especially supervisors. Employees should be informed of the potential
pitfalls of office romance, especially sexual harassment claims. For some people, this will
be enough to discourage them from ever starting a relationship with a fellow employee
Prohibit Supervisors from Dating Direct Subordinates - Supervisors should be strictly
prohibited from dating any subordinate who works directly for them. Such relationships
create an unacceptable risk that a sexual harassment claim will result.
Prepare a Written Policy - As with all other policies governing employee conduct,
employers should put their workplace romance policies in writing. Workplace romance
policies should apply to all employees in the company, including senior management.
In addition to requiring supervisors to report their relationships with subordinates, the
policy should encourage non-supervisory co-employees involved in romantic

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relationships to report to their supervisor or other designated manager when the

relationship begins; the relationship ends; and/or the relationship ceases to be consensual.
Discourage Displays of Affection in the Workplace - Employers may need to make
some employees aware that simply because the employer permits romantic relationships
between co-workers does not mean that it also permits romantic displays between them in
the workplace. New romances often include strong impulses toward touching and other
displays of affection. Employees must be made aware that overt romantic behaviors are
simply not acceptable at work.
By following the above tips, employers can begin to establish processes for managing the
delicate balance between employee rights to privacy and the employer's right to protect
itself from potential legal liability.
Workplace romance law in Pakistan
Pakistan , being an independent country also took step in 2009, to handle the workplace
romance and the government of Pakistan passes a bill against workplace romance and
sexual harassment .
This is a form of criminal law (amendment) bill passed by National Assembly, so the
highlited point is that if workplace romance would be ethical then how it can be
ethical.Then it is proved that workplace romance is unethical.

Dark Side of Workplace Romance

One of the main dark side of workplace romance if the two people break up and still have
to work with each other, the result can be a disaster. In the subsequent tension-charged
atmosphere and due this may be one of your talented and hard worker employee may
leave the organization.

An article, by Clenn Megas,

“Unethical people, unethical work”

She said that you get paid to work you do not get paid to socialize.she also said that
workplace romance is un-wise because you should seprate your workplace from your
personal life.

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“Office romance is inevitable at many companies when unmarried people

work closely together. But colleagues who are dating should find out what
their company's policies and restrictions are on workplace romance so
they can avoid improper or embarrassing consequences.”

Tony Lee

Conclusion
It is concluded that workplace romance is unethical because it results to;
• Favourism.
• Conflicts of intrests.
• Loss of confidentiallity.
• Hostile work environment.
• Sexual Harrasment.
• Decrease productivity.
• Decrease morale.
• Low concentration on work.

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Recommendations
To protect your company in the long term, We recommend that your business includes a
clause within your conflict of interest policy that requires employees to disclose to senior
management any romantic or sexual relationships, because such relationships could be
harmful to the business, disrupt employee productivity or have the potential to result in
favoritism or retaliation.
As part of this policy, if the individuals involved are in the same department or are part of
the same reporting chain, management should always consider changing the assignment
of at least one of the individuals in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
Counseling individual employees involved in intimate relationships should always be
done carefully, and always with the guidance of the company's legal counsel, to ensure
these meetings are conducted in accordance with any relevant statutes.

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References
Research by Michael Park, workplace romance, 2006.
Article, Glenn Magas, workplace romance.
Tony Lee Famous Quote about Dating, Office, People, Romance, Work quotes.
www.dawn.com\\Pakistan Sexual harassment law.
Gary.N.Powell, dating, sex, romance at work, May-June, 1998.
Joint survey by glamour magazine & lawyer.com
Online survey by MSNBC.com & Elle magazine.

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