You've Got to Be Kidding!: How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Integrity

Why Do Companies Discourage Workplace Romance?

Most of us would agree that employees’ personal lives should be just that—kept personal. The company is not Big Brother; it has no right to kill Cupid (thank heaven), outlaw love (I would hope not), or legislate romance (impossible anyhow) among its employees. Furthermore, the company’s head honchos don’t have the time or the desire to meddle in or monitor the personal romantic life of each employee.

So, why are organizations nervous about workplace romances? It’s all about the money, plain and simple. Although a company cannot control matters of the heart, it does have a legitimate interest in the bottom line. Whereas lovers may experience their relationship as special and unique, the cynics in the human resources and legal departments often view these romances as tawdry clichés that can be costly, lose-lose events they would prefer to avoid. At best, workplace romance has potential to cost money in lost productivity; at worst, such liaisons can lead to ethical breaches, favoritism, poor employee morale, expensive litigation for sexual harassment claims—and even workplace violence.