On the other hand, you just can't let every working day be celebrated as Valentine's Day either. How can you be the strict albeit understanding boss taking an objective stance on this matter? | Workplace romance: Do's & don'ts |

Many companies have tried to ban dating among employees but have had to abandon the plan, as love is after all a human instinct, which can't be suppressed.

Agrees Swati Chopra, Contributing Editor of the Life Positive magazine: "I would certainly not like to prohibit such a natural thing as love! I cannot think of anything as fascist as banning love! It is the most natural thing in the world for people to get attracted to one another and if both agree, to get into a relationship. This can happen anywhere—including the office. I also think couples these days have to deal with so much to make their relationship work, they certainly don't need the office to become an added pressure." | Tackiling a bully at work |

On being asked whether she thinks that office romances disrupt work discipline, she answers: "I think office romances may disrupt work just as much as non-office romances. It really depends on how an individual chooses to conduct oneself. If a person is in love with someone outside the office and spends half the day talking to him or her on the phone or chatting on the internet, that disrupts work too."

What is a manager supposed to do if the couple is getting inattentive at work and indulging in unprofessional conduct?

Says Swati: "If their work suffers or they are a distraction for others in the office, I would speak with each person individually and help him or her see how their love life is affecting their professional life and enable them to find ways so that this does not happen."

Adds K C Raghu, Editor-in-Chief of Food and Nutrition World: "There was a feature in The Economic Times about call centre workers carrying condoms to the office. They misused their overnight working schedules to take their office romances too far. It also hampers discipline if the office becomes a matrimonial bureau with men and women in competition to attract one another. But if couples conduct themselves with decency and dignity within the office, the management should not have any problems whatsoever."

Care must be taken that sexual harassment does not take place in the office in the guise of a romantic relationship. The company policy on harassment must be clearly documented- employees should not be allowed to come on to other co-workers.

Says Raghu: "Any type of sexual exploitation like unprofessional comments, lewd jokes and gestures should be strictly dealt with."

A sexual harassment charge if filed, should be carefully investigated - is the complaint genuine or being filed out of spite?

Even if married couples with children are working in the office it should create no problems if there is open communication and mutual understanding between the employees and the employers.

Raghu says: "We would prefer a working couple to tell us well in advance if they are expecting a child so that arrangements for leave can be made without any hassles. We are actually open to granting both maternity and paternity leave. Many offices are comfortable as long as lovers are working in their office but are unwilling to accept it if they want to start a family. Unfortunately this has given rise to many families with double income but not any child. The Indian labour law says that the office should have a crèche if the number of workers is above 270."

In the case of lovers breaking up or getting a divorce, the management may deal with it tactfully with understanding. Without probing into the personal details of the split they may be counselled professionally if their work is getting hampered. In extreme cases, one of them may request to be transferred to another department.

The biggest advantage of office romances is that you can have happy workers, which can actually increase work productivity.

Incidentally, Raghu and Deepa Raghu have been working in the same office for 11 years as husband and wife. In fact they met and fell in love at their workplace. Says Deepa, Managing Editor of Food and Nutrition World: "For all the years we have worked together our professional side has never been hampered. In fact we know one another's minds so well for being a couple it makes us easier to have mutual understanding as co-workers. Being a couple at work has also enabled us to be more accepting to other couples working in our office and empathetic to the problems they may face." | Back to Go 'n Do! Home |