...Hirschfeld, “Office Romance: Are the rules changing?” Reviewed by, Robert Nzioka, 09-0199, Feb 2010. The corporate world has for a long time been bedeviled by the issue of office romance. In addition to meeting corporate challenges, companies must effectively deal with the likely impasse posed by office romance. It is imperative that companies effectively rise up to these challenges posed by the controversies of office romance which they often view as a thorn in the flesh in order to guarantee their survival in a highly competitive environment. Lever, Zellman and Hirschfelds article “Office Romance: Are the rules changing?” is based on research done on office romance in American companies. The authors offer a pragmatic and cautionary view of the dangers of office romance and strive to offer solutions to the pitfalls of that can afflict companies if office romance is not handled in a professional and ethical manner. The authors are quite categorical that office romance cannot be completely eliminated. They point out through statistical information that office romance is a growing phenomenon that can be viewed as a double edged sword bearing potential dangers but also carrying inherent benefits for innovative companies. The authors’ tone is indeed cautionary and they attempt to offer solutions that comprehensively cover the crisis that is office romance. The title of the article is indeed telling of the fact that as much as companies frown upon office romance for fear of...
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...Carice Sasso Keller Graduate School of Management-Devry Conflict Resolution in office romance Professor: Charles Desjardins GM570- Managing conflict in the workplace 11/12/11 Conflict Resolution in office romance Conflict is inevitable. It is a normal way of life. How we as individuals perceive each other depends on our ability to effectively resolve problems and how we cope with managing change. Some of us are unable to adapt to change therefore, it is expected that conflict will occasionally occur. There are different types of conflict that occur in our daily lives as well as in the workplace. However, the topic I choose to discuss as part of this conflict resolution paper is office romance that causes conflict. As we all are aware office romance is very common today in our society. It is no secret that people often find love on the job. There is a level of comfort and closeness that we share with our subordinates that we sometimes tend to fall in love with them. Office romance is dependent on a number of factors. Office romance can have both positive and negative effects on the working environment as well as work performance. It can cause conflict in the workplace, especially if it is a supervisor-subordinate relationship. It can affect the productivity of employees and may lead to sexual harassment and other claims. It can make co-workers uncomfortable and it can be dangerous...
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...Management January 21, 2012 The office affair can make a seducer, seductress, and sinner out of everyday common people who have even the best of intentions. In fact, research suggests that one third of all relationships begin at work. At some time during a person’s working life, chances are they will have or know someone who has been involved in a workplace romance. Often times these relationships become the object of intense gossip and counter productivity. Many times they end badly leaving inefficiency, devastation, and disruption in the workplace not to mention the personal lives of those involved. When so many waking hours are spent with people having common goals in the workplace it is understandable to see how these relationships form. In an office romance, the chance for perceptions to develop of favoritism and unfair advantages one party in the relationship has over others is high. This is especially true if the relationship is between a supervisor or manager and a subordinate. People perceive situations differently. As a previous instructor at a technical training school for military recruits I was always told actual reality is not reality…PERCEPTION IS REALITY. In the Organizational Management textbook, Jim Sinegal further discovered that “it is the perception of reality-not reality-that influences behavior”. (p. 104) This leads to one of the biggest problems associated with office romances, which is, the potential for lawsuits. If the...
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...| Consensual Relationship Agreement | | | The office seems to be a hotbed of romance and a more effective one than dating Web sites or the corner bar. The social nature of many workplaces provides the perfect environment to get to know your co-workers. Between get-togethers every Friday after work with alcohol, food, and possibly music (which leads to dancing) and the softball and volleyball teams, barbeques and pot lucks, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to enjoy each other’s company. HR Solutions’ 2009 National Normative data confirms that 88 percent of all workers strongly feel the people they work with are friendly. We all spend so much time at work and are often attracted to people who share common interests; it only makes sense that one of these very friendly co-workers is going to eventually jump to the top of your dating to-do list. A study by Vault.com shows that almost half of us have been romantically tied to someone at work and that workplace relationships often can be successful; roughly one-quarter result in long-term relationships and even marriage. It is believed that people are more likely to date a coworker in the office rather than someone outside of the workplace. Although, romantic relationships are common in the office, many employers are increasingly turning to consensual relationship agreements. A Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRA) is essentially a written “contract” in which the romantically involved parties acknowledge...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreements – Case Study Dr. Professor Jeffrey Weaver BUS 520 – Leadership and Organizational Behavior January 19, 2013 Consensual Relationship Agreements There are many challenges in the workplace. Office romance today is having to profound effect on corporate attitudes, values, and beliefs. The workplace has become a viable meeting ground for individuals to get to know each other, date, and begin a romantic relationship. People tend to feel more comfortable dating a co-worker than someone they met at a bar or nightclub. According to a major report on interpersonal attraction written in 1969 by Ellen Bercheid and Elaine Walster, professors of Psychology at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin, proximity is an important factor that explains why people become attracted to others. A February 15, 1988, Newsweek article reported that office romances are especially common in those professions in which employees are expected to spend long hours together on the job (Mainiero, 1989). This tends to put employers in a difficult position. Should workplace romance be managed or is any business of the company? Employers tend to take different stances when it comes to workplace romance. Some companies strictly forbid it, while some companies ignore it and hope that no one claims sexual harassment. Lastly, some companies have come up with policies that require disclosure of the relationship so that the employer can document the voluntary...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreement refers to the romance and love relationships of the employees at work place. Different views have been surfaced during the course of subject study regarding the consensual relationship agreement as some are at the view that the agreement should be signed by every employee and would be effective for the organizational and employees’ performance while on the other hand some are at view point that the love and romance relationship of employees are their personal matter and should not be kept under observation by the employers (Hellriegel, 2011). In order to reach at the destination and achieve the said objectives the subject study has focused over numerous bullets including main but not limited to the use of consensual relationship agreement, creating counter arguments against the use of CRAs in existing or future organizations selected, discussing the ethical principles involved in Consensual Relationship Agreement in the United States, other options addressing the workplace romance and so forth. The subject study is conducted based on the theoretical research design using the secondary sources of data (Alderman, 1995). Consensual Relationship Agreement – Arguments: In my view point the use of Consensual Relationship Agreement at workplace to be signed by the employees by the employers is very important and necessary. It would be effective as it is stated in the case of analyzed the office romance is most probably be done and taken place if the...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreement Case Study Tracy Duckett Dr. Ronnie Jones Bus. 520 Leadership and Organizational Behavior Fall Quarter 2012 Abstract It is not uncommon that an office romance will develop between co-workers; based on the fact that majority of their lifetime is spent at their place of employment. Employers are aware of this possibility and have workplace romance policies to protect themselves and the parties in the relationship. Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) are one of the policies that protect the company and the parties involved from the outcome of the relationship ending that could result into sexual harassment claims or bad publicity. There are pros and cons to having these policies and procedures for protection of employers and employees. Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study Eighty percent of an individual’s life is spent at their place of employment, sometimes even more. Usually they are in the presence of their co-workers at a minimum of 40 hours a week, learning, growing and building relationships. It is a strong possibility that one could turn into a romantic one. Hellriegel and Solcum (2011) stated that Valut.com, an online career center, surveyed 1000 professionals about having a romantic relationship with a co-worker, with the results of 19% would consider having one and 47% had been involved in one. The relationship may start out rosy but circumstances could change the dynamics between the two that could affect...
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... Dr Dickerson Human Resources November 7, 2013 Workplace Romance Dating someone at your work site is nothing new. Work has always been a key place for persons to meet and learn about one another. Over the years the trend has increased, and because of increased litigation brought on by harassment and discrimination lawsuits, Workplace Romances have become dangerous to a Company environment. Perhaps the most effective way to limit your exposure to litigation is for a Company to develop policy's that address behavior, conduct, and performance issues associated with employee conduct involved in workplace dating. Being with someone over 40 hours a week gives you a chance to know them. You respect them by working on projects with them and a lasting bond is developed. Why then shouldn't a willing couple be granted the time and freedom to enjoy each others company in a workplace setting. After all, you don't get the chance to see and know someone over time which you met at a bar or some other place. The co-worker shares your success's, your Company goals and values, and if your on the same shift, time at and off work. You won't miss work because you want to see her/him on a regular basis, especially if your married and limited to seeing them away from work because of a suspecting husband or wife. After all, everyone is professional and a grown up and knows how to act, we can handle the office romance just fine. Another positive includes always being together. Being...
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...Relationship Agreements Argument For Workplace romances can lead to accusations of poor judgment, breaches of ethics, favoritism, lost productivity, poor employee morale, sexual harassment claims and even workplace violence. Such concern has led an increasing number of companies to institute "consensual relationship agreements," also known as "love contracts." (Kurtz, 2012) People dating each other in the workplace can wreak havoc on an organization, especially a small organization. Attitudes toward workplace romance are changing -- at least for millennial employees. A whopping 84 percent of workers ages 18-29 say they would have a romantic relationship with a co-worker, compared to just 36 percent of Generation X workers (ages 30-46) and 29 percent of Boomers (age 47-66), according to a recent Workplace Options survey. And 40 percent of Millennials say they would have no problem dating their supervisors (compared to just 10 percent of older generations). More than one-third of employees aren’t sure if there’s a company policy about dating at the office. If your business doesn't have such a policy, it’s time to consider it. Nearly half the employees surveyed say office romances are going on at work, and even if they don’t care, you need to be concerned about sexual harassment charges and complaints about perceived (or real) employee favoritism. Therefore it's essential for HR professionals to accept the likelihood of office romance and have policies and procedures in place...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreements AMLW BUS520/Leadership and Organizational Behavior Love in the office is bound to happen. Nowadays with more and more people spending time focused on work and being in the office, the number of office romances are on the rise (Dharmaraj, 2012). In the office, one tends to meet people who share in at least one of his or her common interest(s)-the career path he or she has chosen. Any activity such as dinner and drinks after a long days work can lead in individuals developing a love interest in one another. Many actors and actress can be seen in films together; Only later for it to come out that they are dating. President Obama met his wife while employed at Sidley & Austin, LLP (Essence Magazine, 2010). Those involved in romantic relationships must ensure that the relationship does not interfere with the performance of either employees job by properly managing the relationship;Management is a necessity to protect both those involved in the relationship and the company itself (Cohen, 2009). As long as the individuals involved are able to differentiate the difference between the workplace and their relationship, a consensual relationship agreement can be used to protect the company's safety against sexual harassment claims should the relationship go awry. A consensual relationship agreement(CRA) is voluntary written contract that protects employees from claims of sexual harassment against the company (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011)...
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...Agreements Case Study Introduction: The purpose of this project is to examine the Consensual Relationship Agreement case study. By Definition, consensual relationship Agreement indicates an agreement read and signed by both Employers and employees by highlighting and confirming an obviously romantic relationship between both parties. The use of consensual relationship Agreement policy in general at the workplace, is fundamental for the employers and also employees. In many organizations, employees are in risks of potentials sexual harassments. But inevitably, some workers engage in a romance adventure at the office. Sometimes those romances end in a not so good term with pretty bad consequences. According to Hellriegel and Slocum (2011), the characteristics of a consensual Relationship agreement is defined as contract that set boundaries on certain office romance situations. They go as the following: decreasing sexual harassment litigation risk, reducing perceptions of favoritism, creating a forum to discuss professional workplace behavior, and reminding dating employees the lack of privacy in the workplace. This is to ensure all relationships are voluntary and consensual. Argue consensual relationship Agreement: At a work place it is truly inevitable for some employers and employees to get involved in any type of relationship. Sometimes, people with higher working status could have this habit of asking lower status employees for a date or may...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study Professor John Mitchell Lithonia Campus BUS 520 – Organization and Leadership October 30, 2012 Strayer University Abstract This paper will discuss Consensual Relationship Agreements in the workplace. Within the paper, I will argue for the use of CRAs in the workplace by explaining the benefits. I will also present a counter argument against the use by explaining the cons. Ethical principles and other options are also discussed. Argue for the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) in your current (of future) workplace. Office romances are almost inevitable when you place people with the same interest together for more than 40 hours a week. These relationships may form between co-workers on the same level, as well as subordinate and manager. Let’s think about this. What happens if this relationship ends on bad terms? The subordinate can state that they were coerced into the relationship. This situation will definitely be a liability to company, opening it up to litigation concerning harassment. In order to mitigate this situation, it would be beneficial for a company to consider having Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRA). A CRA is a written contract in which the parties involved acknowledge that the relationship is consensual and voluntary. The parties understand that they have to remain professional and not allow the relationship to affect the performance. They also agree to avoid behavior...
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...the same company or more typically prevent employees from supervising or directing coworkers related to them by blood or marriage. Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study Question 1 Argue for the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) in your current (or future) workplace. Answer Stephanie Losee and Helaine Olen, authors of "Office Mate: The ..[->5] so Dating and romance in the workplace is an interesting topic that will cause quite a discussion among many professionals and their coworkers. In the book titled Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding and Managing Romance on the Job, 38% of employees ages twenty- five to twenty-nine have had an office romance (Losee & Olen, 2007, p. 55). Now, many individuals view office romances as an unavoidable trend as a result of people working together that share the same common interests (Losee & Olen, 2007). However, many people wonder what can be done to decrease the problematic situations that can arise when office romances occur in the workplace. A Consensual Relationship Agreement is a written contract that helps to address the issues created by office romances (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). This agreement acknowledges that such relationships will develop and ask that the parties inform their immediate supervisor of any romantic relationship (Merrill & Knox,...
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...accepted, almost common. When asked "Have you ever been involved in an office romance?" 36% of men said yes, while 30% of women had a positive response. When asked, "What would you do if you found out about an office romance?" 60% of males and 72% of females answered "Nothing!" It would seem the new "club scene" takes place between nine to five. Are companies worried about their well-paid employees running around like rabbits on a brisk spring morning? They can not be very concerned seeing as 72% of males and 48% of females were not even aware if their offices had a policy on office romance while only 8% out of the hundred we surveyed knew for certain that there was a policy. Perhaps the policy makers are a little busy with the new clerk in accounting…. However, before you start "arranging" the seating plan at the next office soiree consider that only 4 of all surveyed actually married their romance. Two had lost credibility and three say it interfered with their work. Then again 9 people surveyed began a long-term romance. It would seem that office romance has become a romantic stomping ground, but is there situations that are seen as unacceptable? It appears that about 36% of the gals and 28% of the guys are not very comfortable with an employee dating their boss. As a matter of fact surveys show that any multi-level romantic mixing is frowned upon by a large number of Calgarians. Besides office...
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...Love Workplace romances are nothing new. With people spending more hours a week at the office and less time at home, it is only natural that office romances spark. In a 2011 survey conducted by Vault.com, 59 percent of employees admitted to having an office romance, and 63 percent said that they would do it again if provided the opportunity. However, not everyone is happy about love in the workplace. Of those surveyed, 38 percent believed that a co-worker had gained a professional advantage because of an office relationship. (Goudreau, 2012) Surprisingly, though, a whopping 72 percent of companies have no policy regarding workplace romance, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) 2006 Workplace Romance Poll. "The vast majority of companies do not have rules around dating, and they should. Of the few companies that do, most of them involve a boss dating a subordinate. If they perceive a conflict of interest or see the relationship as disruptive or potentially disruptive, HR should step in," asserts Olen. (Tyler, 2008) Workplace romances can lead to accusations of harassment, ethics violations, favoritism, lost productivity, poor morale, and even workplace violence. (Smith 2012) This often results in HR professionals being concerned about dating in the workplace. However, in an effort to decrease the occasional ‘messy’ aftermath of those relationships, some companies are enforcing “love contracts.” Rather than prohibiting office romances altogether, the...
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