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Consensual Relationship Agreements

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Consensual Relationship Agreements

Leadership and Organizational Behavior
25 October 2012

Introduction:The purpose of this project is to examine the Consensual Relationship

Agreement Case StudyIn the job world of today, office romances have become an issues

confronted by most employers. Some employers ban all workplace dating, while other

employers have nopolicy at all to these issues. Most employers, however fall somewhere

in between, with explicit or at least implicit policies that forbid or discourage certain

workplace relationships. Consensual relationship policies are an important tool in

managing the risk of sexual harassment and discrimination claims. However, they must

be thoughtfully created and administered with care With more employees working

longer days relationships at work are consistently developing more frequently.

Workplace romance may be the only option for employees whose work load limits their

outside activities; but for employers, this trend may prove problematic as the potential

liability associated with these relationships rises (Wilson, Filosa, et al, 2003). Employers

have had to develop new ways to protect not only the company but themselves from this

potential disaster. One type of these new policy’s that are being adopted is a consensual

relationship agreement (CRA). A CRA is essentially a “contract” in which the

romantically involved parties acknowledge the following:

• Their relationship is voluntary and consensual.

• They agree to abide by the employer’s antidiscrimination, anti-harassment, and

workplace conduct policies.

• They promise to report any perceived harassment to management, if it occurs.

• They agree to avoid behavior that offends others in the workplace

• They agree not

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