How to Handle Workplace Romance

Introduction 

The workplace environment encounters a wide array of ethical issues, which tend to impact on the overall performance of the employees. One of the critical moral issues of concern is workplace romance and inappropriate relationships. Workplace romance refers to the interpersonal relationships existing within the workplace environment affecting the overall performance of employees. Majority of the companies dealing with diverse employees have set out policies that seek to limit the possibilities of workplace romance focusing solely on the issue of concentration. According to Pierce & Aguinis (2009), increased cases of workplace romance tend to create polarization in the workplace, which, in turn, contributes to a significant challenge when intending to improve on the expected performance outcomes. From an ethical perspective, it is evident that workplace romance is an issue of substantial concern while taking into consideration the fact that majority of the people engaging in such relationships tends to ignore the implications that it is having on the workplace.

The Problem 

The ethical issue in question revolves around increased cases of workplace romance among employees working within the same workplace environment engaging in romantic and sexual relationships. The implication of such links is evident on the part of the employers; as such relationships act as a contributing factor to poor performance among employees. Most of the companies and organizations face a crucial challenge when dealing with issues of romantic relationships, as this creates some form of a problem considering that employees experience notable distractions while in the workplace environment. Additionally, the question arises from the fact that most of these romantic relationships occurring within the workplace environments are between superior and subordinate employees. Consequently, this means that the overall structure of employee performance within the workplace would reduce significantly.

Workplace romance contributes to cases of employees' distraction, as it becomes harder for employees within a romantic relationship to concentrate as per expectations, thus, creating some form of challenge regarding abilities to perform. Adams (2018) argues that one of the critical issues arising when employees are engaged in workplace relationships is that they tend to create a feeling of awkwardness among the employees involved. The ultimate impact is that employees tend to lack that element of positivity in their performance due to the distractions created from such relationships. The issues of workplace romance arise due to the nature of friendships formed within the workplace, as some of these friendships tend to go beyond the expected limit. Most of the employees find themselves spending long working hours together, which acts as a contributing factor towards defining the nature of relationships created.

Clarify Concepts 

When dealing with the ethical issue of workplace romance, it is essential to define some of the critical concepts that seek to project this particular issue. The first concept to define is superior-subordinate romance, which refers to romantic relationships created between upper and lower level employees. Such links are common considering that high-level employees tend to use their influence within the workplace environment to define the relationships formed. The second concept to define is friendship, which refers to the voluntary association established between two individuals. However, the connection built through friendship does not amount to a romantic relationship, as people use such links for social purposes. The third concept to define is romance referring to the degree of intimacy occurring between individuals based on their overall connections.

Possible Solutions to the Problem 

While taking into consideration the fact that workplace relationships tend to have varied impacts on the performance of employees, it becomes essential to reflect on some of the possible solutions to the problem. Some of the possible solutions noted include:

Policy Framework 

Employers must set out workplace policies that seek to limit the possibility of engaging in such relationships while outlining some of the consequences for the individuals that would engage in such relationships. In other words, employers may opt to create a code of conduct for their employees focusing on the issue of workplace relationships. The focus is to ensure that each of the employees understands the consequence of having such bonds and the steps that the employer is taking towards implementation of the policy. That will act as a barrier for any individuals intending to engage in workplace relationships, as it becomes somewhat challenging for them.

Education of Employees 

On the other hand, employers may also engage in training and education programs for their employees touching on issues of office romance and the implications that it would have on the employees, as well as, on the employers. Through the education programs, employers would focus much of their attention on the idea of having to put in place efforts that seek to prevent favoritism, sexual harassment, and hostile work environments. Favoritism arises from a situation where an employee tends to have a romantic relationship with his or her boss, which results in increased favors on the employee. Through education, the employees would have a better understanding of the impacts of their engagement in such relationships, which would be of value towards preventing such romantic relationships.

Setting Performance Standards 

On the other hand, managers may also seek to establish performance standards for their employees within the workplace environment as a way of ensuring that they work within these standards as a way of providing that they understand the implications of their actions. When engaging in romantic relationships, it becomes hard for the employees to meet their performance standards. Thus, this would seek to provide the employers with a leeway from which to reflect on the issue based on its overall outcomes. Employers may opt to let go of such employees or put them under a probationary period during which time they would be expected to improve their performance standards accordingly. The ultimate impact of this is that most of the employees would find themselves concentrating more of their efforts towards ensuring that they work on improving their performance rather than focus on workplace romance.

Regular Monitoring of Employees’ Behaviors 

Employers may have the option of monitoring the behaviors associated with their employees while in the workplace environment as a way of determining instances where workplace romance may hamper the overall achievement of expected results. In this case, the focus is working on the idea of using the behaviors projected by the employees, including their engagement within social media or other internet platforms as a determinant of whether they are involved in such cases of workplace romance. Employers have the authority of monitoring their employees’ internet logs, as well as, evaluating the communications that employees are having with other employees within and outside the workplace environment.

Establishing an Avenue for Professionalism 

When dealing with the issue of workplace romance, one of the key aspects to note is that employers must always advocate for the need to ensure that employees behave or operate in a manner that suggests high levels of professionalism. By promoting for professionalism, one of the key aspects to note is that employers tend to avoid instances where some of the employees may use their workplace romance as a tool from which to distort their overall levels of professionalism. Employers will focus much of their attention on the idea of building total capacity from which to ensure that employees understand the value of them maintain the highest standards regarding the relationships that they create within the workplace environment. Ultimately, employers will seek to add value to the workplace environments, as they will attempt to eliminate issues that tend to distract the employees concerning their performance.

Information Gathered 

An in-depth analysis of different sources of information exposes the fact that romantic relationships within the workplace environment are becoming a vital issue of concern, more employees are engaging in such relationships. Doll & Rosopa (2015) argue that the likelihood of workplace relationships has increased significantly considering that the number of employees involved in such relationships is considerably high. The issue not only projects a wide array of ethical challenges but also creates some form of difficulty touching on the fact that most of the employees do not understand the impacts of their relationships. The moral problem arising from such relationships is that majority of employees tend to ignore the overall possibility of improving their performance to focus much of their attention on such bonds.

Adams (2018) argues that one of the key contributing factors to the occurrence of workplace relationships is the long hours that employees spend together. In most cases, employees tend to spend up to 50 hours along within the workplace environment, which exposes them to the vulnerability of finding common interests that would allow them to engage in sexual relationships. The long hours spent together also pave the way for a situation where employees tend to become fully aware of each other, which exposes them the to the likelihood of such relationships. On the other hand, most of the employees working together tend to find it easier when engaging in such relationships considering that they tend to have a better understanding of their colleagues within the same workplace environment. Pierce, Byrne, & Aguinis (2016) indicate that this acts as a contributing factor to instances where employees tend to consider the high possibility of engaging in relationships that would involve romance and sex.

Michelson, Hurvy, & Grünauer (2010), on the other hand, argue that some of the romantic workplace relationships occurring within the workplace environment are forced on subordinate employees on their superiors, which amounts to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is one of the critical issues affecting the work environment around the world, as more employees are experiencing essential challenges due to problems of sexual harassment. In such cases, superiors tend to use their power and influence as tools to manipulate their subordinates towards engaging in sexual relationships due to the possibility of favoritism. Favoritism has been mentioned as one of the critical issues of concern within the workplace environment, as subordinate employees tend to engage in romantic relationships with their superior with the hope of receiving favors.

On the other hand, it is equally important to take note of the fact that some of the female employees tend to use their feminism in a bid to enticing their bosses with the aim of engaging in such relationships. The key focus for the female employees is to ensure that they receive favors from their bosses including promotions or individual assignments. McDonald & Noble (2011) argue that dealing with the issue of romantic workplace relationships must take into consideration this position, as some of the female employees tend to believe in the idea of using such connections to achieve career success. One of the critical issues that majority of the employees do not understand is that their engagement in romantic workplace relationships seeks to create some form of conflict of interest. That is evident when dealing with relationships between superior and subordinate employees, as it becomes much more challenging for the excellent employees to make decisions that reflect on the general position of promoting overall performance.

Cole (2009) reflects on the fact that romantic workplace relationships are unavoidable when taking into consideration the high number of employees engaging in such relationships without the knowledge of their superiors. That means that dealing with the issue of workplace romance is an issue that would require concerted efforts from both the top levels and low-level employees, who must understand the ultimate impacts of their engagement in such relationships. Additionally, the employees must appreciate the fact that their participation in such associations only exposes them to increased risks of poor performance, which would impact their position within the workplace. From the information presented, it becomes essential to embark on a process of having to adopt some of the possible solutions to the issue, as this would be of value towards preventing negative implications of such relationships.

Assumptions and Point of View 

The ethical issue of workplace romance presents two points of view, which are essential to understanding as a way of determining which argument is most soluble in this situation focusing on whether or not to engage in such relationships. The proponents of workplace relationships argue that workplace relationships tend to have positive outcomes concerning reducing the possibility of employee turnover. Employees tend to require to shift concerning their workplace environments due to the potential that they are engaged in romantic relationships within a given workplace environment. The ultimate impacts this would have on the workplace is that it would help reduce the cost margins for the employees, as it becomes much easier for employers to reduce the costs associated with hiring employees considering that the employee turnover rates would decrease significantly.

On the other hand, the opposing view highlights the fact that workplace relationships tend to have more negative implications within a workplace environment when compared to the positive impact. One of the key aspects to note is that increased cases of workplace romance create a situation where employees tend to remain distracted, which tends to have a significant impact on their outcomes regarding performance. Employees' performance is one of the key issues of concern within the workplace environment, as it seeks to determine how employees work towards the achievement of set goals. The distraction affects the employees' performance significantly, as it becomes much harder for the employees to concentrate as a way of ensuring that they work towards building their performance.

Another critical aspect to note is that engagement in workplace romance creates a situation where the workplace environment becomes polarized to an extent where it becomes harder for employees to define their performance expectations. The polarization of employees is a common occurrence when dealing with workplace romance especially when dealing with instances where the relationships are between superior and subordinate employees. Such relationships tend to create a challenge for the excellent employees regarding the decisions that they make considering that it becomes much more challenging for them to reflect on the consequences of their choices. In cases where some of the employees are expected to receive favors from the superior employees, the nature of options that these excellent employees make tends to impacts on their performance outcomes significantly.

Moral Reasoning/Philosophy 

When evaluating the issue of workplace romance, it is essential to reflect on the moral reasoning or philosophy, as this would be of value towards determining the argument that would be most viable. When applying moral thinking, one of the key aspects to note is that workplace relationships tend to create some form of awkwardness within the workplace environment among the individuals engaged in romantic relationships. The inability arises from the fact that most of the employees participating in such relationships tend to lack that element of understanding on how to handle such connections regarding the impacts that they are having on their abilities to perform. The awkwardness created not only affects the individuals but also extends to other individuals within the same workplace environment, thus, creating a situation where it becomes much more challenging for other employees to perform.

Another critical aspect to note when applying moral reasoning in the issue is that workplace relationships tend to create some form of challenge for employees regarding their abilities to reflect on their expected roles and responsibilities. That is evident when dealing with romantic workplace relationships that involve superior and subordinate employees considering that the subordinate employees use such relationships as critical determinants of their performance. From that view, it becomes harder for the employees to achieve their expected goals and objectives. Based on the application of moral reasoning, it is evident that workplace romance remains an issue that would have negative impacts on the workplace environment. Thus, this leads to the conclusion that indeed workplace relationships should not be allowed within workplace environments attributed to the negative implications that they tend to have on employees performance.

Consequences 

If workplace relationships are allowed, the effects would be detrimental regarding expected business performance. Workplace romance contributes to cases of employees' distraction, as it becomes harder for employees within a romantic relationship to concentrate as per expectations. The ultimate impact is that employees tend to lack that element of positivity in their performance due to the distractions created from such relationships. Superiors tend to use their power and influence as tools to manipulate their subordinates towards engaging in sexual relations due to the possibility of favoritism. One of the critical issues that majority of the employees do not understand is that their engagement in romantic workplace relationships seeks to create some form of conflict of interest.

References

Adams, T. (2018). Should Employers Establish A Policy On Romantic Relationships In The Office?. HR Magazine, 63 (1), 9. Retrieved from http://bakerezproxy.palnet.info/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=127823464&site=eds-live 

Cole, N. (2009). Workplace Romance: A Justice Analysis. Journal Of Business & Psychology, 24 (4), 363-372. Retrieved from http://bakerezproxy.palnet.info/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=45127545&site=eds-live 

Doll, J., & Rosopa, P. J. (2015). Workplace romances: Examining attitudes experience, conscientiousness, and policies. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30 (4), 439-453. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.bakerezproxy.palnet.info/docview/1680385419?accountid=8473 

McDonald, J. E., & Noble, J. W. (2011). Romance in the Workplace: Ethical and Legal Implications for Employers. Proceedings Of The Northeast Business & Economics Association, 297-300. Retrieved from http://bakerezproxy.palnet.info/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=101332112&site=eds-live 

Michelson, G., Hurvy, R., & Grünauer, C. (2010). Workplace Romances And Hrm: A Private Matter Or Organisational Concern?. International Journal of Employment Studies, 18 (2), 117-149. Retrieved from http://bakerezproxy.palnet.info/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=66584115&site=eds-live 

Pierce, C. & Aguinis, H. (2009). Moving Beyond a Legal Centric Approach to Managing Workplace Romances: Organizationally Sensible Recommendations for HR Leaders. Human Resource Management. 48 , 447-464. Retrieved from http://bakerezproxy.palnet.info/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=40220205&site=eds-live 

Pierce, C. A., Byrne, D., & Aguinis, H. (2016). Attraction in organizations: A model of workplace romance.  Journal of Organizational Behavior ,  17 (1), 5-32.