An analysis of the Consensual Relationship Agreements
Case Study
Assignment 1

By:
STUDENT NAME: Arlette Lamsa

To:
Dr. Evangeline Jefferson
Professor:

COURSE NAME:
Bus 520: Leadership and organization Behavior

STRAYER UNIVERSITY
WASHINGTON, DC
January, 2013

Consensual Relationship 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 use a not so professional behavior towards a subordinate. Also, some employers with successful romantic relationship with subordinates, may show more favoritism toward another employee. This Agreement makes the workers and employees be responsible of their own acts and behaviors. Some surveys have proven that, most of the employees get involved in a romantic relationship during the course of their career. In some cases, not all workplaces have a written consensual relationship agreement policy for their employees. Often, some of the employees are not aware of the consensual relationship agreement policy.
Twice a year, at my workplace there are training sessions on sexual harassment behavior. This training helps the employees and employers to be aware of any consequences that will generate from any inappropriate conduct toward one another. According to (Cropper, 1997), these policies should be placed in each employee personal file. This training is very important because, sometimes, it lets the employee that is sexually harassed to know his rights and understand that sexual harassment is a behavior that is Absolutely not tolerated. We are coming to the term that, consensual relationship agreement is necessary in a workplace, because it will make people aware of their rights. In this case most of the time, with this policy, the employer will stay on the loop if any employee is sexually harassed. If he does not, he will be accountable due to the fact that, as an employer, he should know what is going on his work place. Also, the employee will know where to direct his concerns and who to talk to. In my opinion, the use of consensual relationship agreement is a necessary tool to avoid most cases of sexual Harassment in a work place. According to (Alderman, 1995), the use of consensual
Relationship Agreement policy, will definitely make all employees alert of any sexual harassment behavior prone to lawsuits and love relationship.

Counter Argument:
Love relationship and sexual behavior have existed for decades in most organizations. This issue has always been a big concern for some employers. These sexual harassment behaviors could be one of the biggest fears that the employers maybe sometimes exposed to. One of the consequences could be the lawsuits. These maybe be filed either against the supervisors having the habits of asking his subordinates out on the dates. However, some employees file the lawsuits after a consensual relationship goes wrong, sometimes it could be due to the fact that, the other employee starts showing favoritism to another employee to whom he is more interested. Consequently, the consensual
Relationship Agreement related to the sexual harassment also prohibits the sexual advances which may be unwelcomed by the partner or other employees. Some of the participants who are involved in consensual relationships agreement policy can never prove the sexual harassment (Alderman, 1995).
The difficulty they may face would be to prove the relationship among them as consensual.
In the consensual relationship when it goes sour may also be resulted in unwelcome advances and proceedings and other predatory conduct.
Ethical Principles- Consensual Relationship Agreement:
The main goal of Consensual Relationship Agreement policy is to insure that all employees are aware of their rights and if in case of sexual harassment, they would know where to go and how to file the
Complaint. However, if the organization had in file a signed copy that indicate the organization was aware of the relationship between the two employees and that they agree was consensual no compensation can be claimed (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2011).
Some organization has a very specific code of conducts that are against any workplace romance.
However, the employees involved in any type of relationship should be at their best behavior, without causing any type of negative conduct at the organization the organization has they may made an exception to keep their outstanding employees. To do so the organization will have both employees sign the agreement were they agree their relationship is consensual and no one had harassed anyone. I think it depends how they handle themselves. In this case, they kept their professional behavior and did not decrease in their job performance.
Employees may find a different way to express their feelings, due to the fact that, they are involved in an office romance. The should be discrete, careful in so that, this behavior could not have some negatives consequences in their job performance. (Alderman, 1995).
It has also been observed that the employees involved in love and romance relationships have
Uncontrollable desires and wishes in order to announce. Make the employees sure that they must urge to
Control the babble on about their love life. This would also work as the fuel that the office grapevine and bore the workers (Copley News Service, 2002).

Recommendations:
I believe all people at work should be very discrete in case they are involved in a romantic relationship.
Instead of being exposed, it shows a certain degree of maturity and professionalism.
Years ago, 2 employees involved in a relationship at my job, used to take long lunches, and did not care much about the time. I think it is important for them to be aware of the rules, and control teir emotions given that this could get them into a much deeper troubles with management.
At last it is not recommended for employees involved in relationship to use the office communication telephones or computers to express their feelings. They are usually monitored and it usually not a good thing if they would like to keep an anonymous climate.

Conclusion:
It has been demonstrated that, employees involved in a romantic relationship and that expose
Themselves, will not being well seeing in an environment that, the main goals are totally focused on competition.
In organizations where the main goal is focused on the economic growth, there is a high risk that, two people involved could end up on a conflictive situations of interest or roles. These types of situations may lead to the separation of both employees by human resources. Also, this is where the importance of the consensual relationship agreement acceptance and implementation is necessary, as long as it is based on what the organization ethical rules are set.

References:
Hellriegel, D.,& Slocum, J. W., Jr. Organizational Behavior: 2011 custom edition (13th ed). Mason, OH: South-Western cengage Learning.
Alderman, L. (1995). Surviving an office romance without jeopardizing your job.
Cropper, C. M. (1997, October 26). That unwritten code against fraternization
Internet References : Strayer University , Syudent paper