...counterparts within the workplace. Trying to manage human nature and the evolution of interpersonal relationships at work have a positive and negative effect on all parties involved; directly and indirectly. Relationships in general are emotional roller coasters therefore anyone choosing to engage in romance in the workplace must be made aware that they are taking a gamble. Consequently, employers attempting to permit these interactions will also be taking a risk. Implementing a Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRA) may be beneficial with forming workplace boundaries and aid in the facilitation of continuity and maintenance of workplace efficiencies when these types of relationships exist. CRAs are virtually “love contracts” which implement guidelines and agreements between employer and employee regarding the handling of workplace romantic interactions. This type of agreement constitutes the relationship as consensual between individual adults, requires the parties to attest to the fact that it will not hinder the job performance of either individual, in the event the relationship is short lived it identifies the potential consequences of any irreconcilable differences resulting from the romantic relationship, and holds the employer harmless and releases the employer from liability of any negative consequences resulting from the continuation or dissolution of the relationship. Contracts of this type of personal nature are prone to be intrusive and easily susceptible to being...
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...Home Page»Business and Management Consensual Relationship Agreement In: Business and Management Consensual Relationship Agreement BUS520 – Leadership and Organizational Behavior, Dr. Wilkerson Week 3, Assignment 1 Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study April 22, 2012 Tiffany Hurt Reference page 1. Organizational Behavior – Hellriegel/Slocum 2011 Custom edition In my current workplace, I believe that having a Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRA) in place would be beneficial to the agency. Considering all the training, we now have to take pertaining to sexual harassment, ethics, and security, etc. having the Consensual Relationship Agreement in place could cut down on various lawsuits, and sexual harassment claims filed by employees, saving the agency time and money with investigating employees when time and money can be spent more productively within the agency. I have witnessed a few relationships develop within our agency and a few resulted in marriage but those relationships were kept very quiet and no one was aware the individuals were dating. In my opinion the only way the couples were not scrutinized is because they kept their relationships a secret and they were very lucky and professional with one another while in the workplace so that no coworkers were able to detect they were dating one another. It is a given fact that individuals spend more time at work then at home, which sometimes results in relationships being developed when your spend...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreements (Case Study) Dr. Tameria Vickerson Business 520 – Leadership And Organizational Behavior January 27, 2013 Strayer University Abstract The focus of this paper is to outline the pros and cons, explain, and explore the ethical issues of a Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRAs) between coworkers, corporate vice-presidents, executives, and/or managers in the workplace. It will present arguments for and against the use of CRAs in the workplace by analyzing the relationships between the basic organizational behavior models of individual groups and organizational processes. Additionally, this paper will discuss the ethical principles that are involved in the use of a CRA, how ethical decisions are made within an organization as it pertains to a CRA, and how these relationships impact and/or affect productivity. Finally, it will explore other options that would address the issue of workplace romance (Don Hellriegel & John W. Slocum, Jr., 2011). Keywords: Consensual Relationship Agreements, CRA(s) CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENTS (CASE STUDY) Discussion What is a Consensual Relationship Agreement (“CRA”)? “An agreement signed by employer and employees confirming that a romantic or sexual relationship between employees is voluntary and consensual” (Don Hellriegel & John W. Slocum, Jr., (2011). Let us face it, in today’s society; the majority of us spend most of our waking hours during the week...
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...520: Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study Assignment I Angela Denise Nelson Danielle Camacho BUS 520: Leadership and Organizational Behavior July 22, 2012 Workplace relationships will eventually occur as employees of all interest and backgrounds are put into a melting pot. Some say that the workplace has become the new singles bar. Also, the workplace has become a place for extramarital affairs and some same sex relationships. As people share common interest, attractions occur, eventually leading to a relationship. It is important for employers to realize that workplace relationships are going to occur and to have policies set in place. It is not a suggested practice to forbid workplace relationships, but it is necessary to maintain the integrity of the organization and to maintain a functional office environment. Unfortunately, workplace relationships can lead to accusations of poor judgment, breach of ethics, favoritism, lost of productivity, poor employee morale, sexual harassment claims and workplace violence. Consensual relationship agreements or “love contracts” should no be used as the sole means of protection from litigation, they should be used to supplement a business’s antiharassment policy, and other legalities that may occur upon the demise of the relationship. Consensual relationship agreements are written contracts in which employees involved in a workplace relationship and...
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...Consensual Relationships Agreement Case study Argue for the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) in your current (or future) workplace. When it comes to work environments, there are many issues. One big issue that seems to be a problem when it comes to the workplace is the issue of sexual harassment and other problems related to this. In the workplace, it is important to know what is going on. It is inevitable that at some point, love will cross paths of two workers who happen to work at the same job. In every job environment, there are women who work with men. Because of this, it is important that all HR departments lay the foundation in training of what the boundaries are when it comes to one another. Relationship that fail can end up in sexual harassment cases which in turn exploits the job in a negative way. By having consensual relationship agreements, any cases of any type of harassment can be avoided. In some instances, jobs have found it difficult to decipher between acts that were wanted and acts that actually were not. When two people are in intimate relationships and they both work together, this can become an issue. If two people are involved in a relationship and then the relationship fails, can it be deemed as sexual harassment if one partner makes an unwanted gesture? If two people are involved in a relationship and the manager is not aware of it, can the manager deem it as sexual harassment if one partner reports the other because of an...
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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 Agreement Employers have always been very carefully about interpersonal relationships within employees. They realize the need to protect themselves from legal actions that may arise as a result of these love encounters. Workplace romance can lead to accusations of poor judgment, breaches of ethics, favoritism, lost productivity, poor employee morale, sexual harassment claims and even workplace violence. As a result of these issues, the companies have developed a new documentation for the employees called consensual relationship agreement. A consensual Relationship agreement also known as a “Love Contract” is one in which two people from mutually consent in an emotionally (romantic) and physical (sexually) intimate relationship and frees the employer from any litigation that may arise as a result of a breakup. By having both parties sign this document, they are immediately place on an active notice of their separate rights and responsibilities during the course of the relationship and after its possible demise. It affirms that the signees are aware of the company’s policies on sexual harassment and workplace ethics and understand the consequences of failure to follow those policies. So far, these agreements may be perceived as beneficial for the sake of the organization but how does this action affects the employee? Primarily the use of this agreement violates the privacy of the employee. Just the merely request to sign such a contract, can be perceive...
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...CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIPS AGREEMENT CASE STUDY Christopher R. Faulkner BUS 520 1/22/12 Faulkner 1 INTRODUCTION There are some individuals in the workforce who don’t really have much time to go out a. They tend to spend most of their time at work or at work related functions. Work for young people is more intense than it has ever been. Dating at work would seem to be the most obvious place you would find someone that you feel compatible with. It’s the only place you interact with people who are in the same field as you and probably have many things in common. The problem lies with the management and the policies against consensual relationships in the workplace. They sometimes need to have policies because of situations that occur and disruptions or interference in the worker’s responsibilities. Although most companies don’t have a written policy many people feel that there is an unwritten policy against dating in the workplace, however there is a policy against dating in the workplace for some companies and it is called the consensual relationship agreement. According to the textbook, a CRA is a written contract to protect against employees who are involved in relationships in the workplace. (Hellriegel...
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...There are many reasons why implementing the Consensual Relationship Agreement into the workplace policy and guidelines of any job is important. There are also many opinions on why this policy is unnecessary, and can give the vibe of invading one’s personal space. Implementing such a policy will allow for the company to have a surety in place, so that the company is safe from lawsuits, and being solely liable for any mishappenings of those involved. Implementing these types of policies may also convey the sense of fairness to all. There are two ethical principles: sexual harassment, and stakeholder responsibility, that I feel are major aspects on the whys and the hows of the Consensual Relationship Agreement. There has been endless episodes of romance and dating at the workplace. Most businesses were off-hands when it came to the matters of love and dating on the job. “The issue is not going away”, says Helaine Olen, coauthor of Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding --- and Managing--- Romance on the job (Adams Media, 2007). It is really vital for those in leadership positions to accept the likelihood of romance and dating at the workplace. It is also crucial for there to be some sort of policy and procedure in place, to be prepared to deal with any happenings, dealing with the aftermath of these said relationships. If they tried to forbid the dating it was like using reverse psychology. The more it is forbidden, the more likely, one is to partake in it, just to be...
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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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...Organizational Behavior, Dr. Wilkerson Week 3, Assignment 1 Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study April 22, 2012 Tiffany Hurt Reference page 1. Organizational Behavior – Hellriegel/Slocum 2011 Custom edition In my current workplace, I believe that having a Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRA) in place would be beneficial to the agency. Considering all the training, we now have to take pertaining to sexual harassment, ethics, and security, etc. having the Consensual Relationship Agreement in place could cut down on various lawsuits, and sexual harassment claims filed by employees, saving the agency time and money with investigating employees when time and money can be spent more productively within the agency. I have witnessed a few relationships develop within our agency and a few resulted in marriage but those relationships were kept very quiet and no one was aware the individuals were dating. In my opinion the only way the couples were not scrutinized is because they kept their relationships a secret and they were very lucky and professional with one another while in the workplace so that no coworkers were able to detect they were dating one another. It is a given fact that individuals spend more time at work then at home, which sometimes results in relationships being developed when your spend vast amounts of time with coworkers on projects, and work assignments. Employees’ start to form basic relationships with coworkers and bonds began to form with one another...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreement Leadership and Organizational Behavior January 22, 2012 Abstract In today’s fast paced society women and men spend nearly forty percent of their week in the workplace. Due to the time spent working together; many workers generate a common interest in one another, therefore leading to workplace romance. Many companies protect themselves and their workers with Consensual Relationship Agreements or CRA; a CRA is a written contract in which romantically involved partners acknowledge workplace policies regarding romance. The CRA is confirmation of their relationship being voluntary and consensual; ensuring that the statutes of the relationship does not affect the dynamics of the workplace ethical infrastructure. Both parties agree to abide by the employers antidiscrimination, anti-harassment, and workplace conduct policies. Many employers and employees find that CRAs can be both beneficial and detrimental in the workplace; affecting personal relationships, workplace infrastructure, and productivity. There are several benefits that CRAs provide in today’s workplace not all companies have policies in place but they are beneficial to productivity. Consensual Relationship Agreements create boundaries for workplace relationships and legally binds employees to behave in a professional manner. A majority of companies do not have any policy in place. The dynamics of the workplace was jeopardized because several people dated romantically. This...
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...Running head: Consensual Relationship Contract Leadership and Organizational Behavior-BUS 520 LaDonna Oliver Instuctor: Dr. Elizabeth Strayer University July 19, 2012 Abstract With employees spending more time together in the workplace, consensual relationships are becoming more common in the workplace. This workplace romance has caused major concerns for companies and their human resource professionals. This ongoing behavior has existed many decades and is becoming more prevalent in the workplace. According to a survey by Vault.com,47 percent of 1000 professionals survey had been involved in an office romance, and another 19 percent would consider it (Hellriegel, Slocum 2009) Michelle and Barack Obama, Bill and Melinda Gates, Olivia Chow and the late Jack Layton are a few of the many employees who met in the work place and later married. The workplace continues to be the foundation of which many healthy relationships are established, yet those relationships gone badly have resulted in consequence for the employee as well the employer, whereas costly and timely claims of sexual harassment cost employers millions of dollars. Scandals such as Charles Thomas/Anita Hill, Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinski, and Joe Patrino/Jessica Dorrell just to name a few have tainted the ethic culture of the workplace. In an effort to reduce romance in the workplace, an increasing numbers of employers are instituting consensual relationship...
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...Workplace romance is defined as a mutually desired relationship that includes physical attraction between two members of the same organization. Workplace romance is consensual and mutually welcomed (Clarke 2006). More specifically, as with other romances, workplace romances are characterized by desiring to be with the other person and feelings of emotional and physical attraction, which may lead to a sharing of personal information, mutual caring and respect, and quite likely sexual behavior such as touching, kissing and hugging, and sexual intercourse (Pierce, Byrne, and Aguinis 1996). Consensual relationship agreements, in my opinion, are a good idea for the workplace. They help ensure that even if a relationship goes bad between a person of authority and a subordinate, no one will be held legally liable. Signing a consensual relationship agreement does not cause either party to waive all of their rights regarding sexual harassment or other wrongful behavior that might evolve at a later date. However, it may include an arbitration provision. If any adversarial action is later contemplated, the matter must be resolved through arbitration proceedings and not the public court system. This has been an issue many times in the past with co-workers fraternizing with each other and later filing lawsuits because the relationship did not work out as planned. Consensual relationship agreements are just an ingenious way of protecting both parties from any legal woes that...
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...Home Page» Business and Management Consensual Relationship Agreement In: Business and Management Consensual Relationship Agreement Consensual Relationship Agreement Leadership and Organizational Behavior January 22, 2012 Abstract In today’s fast paced society women and men spend nearly forty percent of their week in the workplace. Due to the time spent working together; many workers generate a common interest in one another, therefore leading to workplace romance. Many companies protect themselves and their workers with Consensual Relationship Agreements or CRA; a CRA is a written contract in which romantically involved partners acknowledge workplace policies regarding romance. The CRA is confirmation of their relationship being voluntary and consensual; ensuring that the statutes of the relationship does not affect the dynamics of the workplace ethical infrastructure. Both parties agree to abide by the employers antidiscrimination, anti-harassment, and workplace conduct policies. Many employers and employees find that CRAs can be both beneficial and detrimental in the workplace; affecting personal relationships, workplace infrastructure, and productivity. There are several benefits that CRAs provide in today’s workplace not all companies have policies in place but they are beneficial to productivity. Consensual Relationship Agreements create boundaries for workplace relationships and legally binds employees to behave in a professional manner...
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