How to handle workplace romance?
However hard you try, you cannot stop human emotions act up at any given point of time. Be it work place, mall, auditorium, market place – just anywhere – human mind can think whatever it wants to anywhere, everywhere!
Thus feelings, emotions can flow freely at work place as well. If you think that the mind can be locked and no love/ lust should at all occur at work place then you must be really naïve! When competition is allowed that generates feelings of hatred and jealousies, then how can you think that emotions like love, attraction or lust can be kept under lock and key?
So let us find out what kind of romance is harmless and what kind is the harmful one! A harmful romance disrupts work culture and should immediately be discouraged by tp authorities.
The Harmless Workplace Romance
- Usually discreet in nature.
- The twosome are seriously in love.
- Such love affairs usually culminate in marriage.
- Colleagues are happy – all get a chance to celebrate the happiness together!
All’s well that ends well!
Such marriages are rather happy marriages. Both know about the work pressure and the work environment. Both are confident about each other. Both respect each other. Both obviously love each other.
The Harmful Workplace Romance
- Flirting outrageously with just anyone/ everyone or whoever is available!
- Wasting work time in sharing jokes and /or fixing appointments with the flirt-object.
- Since the person – either male or female executive – is not serious but just flirting around, many others are drawn towards the same person – each one trying to get maximum time out with the flirtatious person.
- Because of the above reason, unnecessary jealousies develop and executives stop cooperating with the person who happens to impress the ‘flirtatious one’ more!
- Work culture gets badly jeopardized! Something that can be done in two hours with healthy & positive relations among colleagues, get delayed and then the Manager has to intervene to sort issues!
The way out – Nip the devil in the bud!
At the very outset, if Top Management, esp. the HR gets the indication of any such happening on the floor, the person (flirtatious one) should be immediately called and given a warning about his or her antics that are certainly not going unobserved! The management has to be very strict regarding this matter. Even if the flirtatious executive happens to be versatile – he or she should be shown the door (in case they continue flirting outrageously and do not pay a heed to the warnings) or else bitterness start spreading rapidly on the floor.
In order to work as a well-knit team, such issues should be handled carefully and with immediate effect.
What can you do as an employee?
As an employee who likes to see his company grow without unnecessary hitches, he should report such things to the top management before it is too late!