Romance in the office is not new, but when the relationships are formed at the top level of the office and they are hidden, the entire company’s image and trust are affected. Recently, both of them were caught on a dance camera with each other at a coldplay concert of Andy Bayran, CEO of Data Infrastructure Company Astronomer and HR Head Christine Cabut. This picture went viral on social media after that. After this whole matter came to light, many questions are being raised about the office relationship, especially when such a relationship is between a senior leader and a junior employee.
This is the reason that companies like Facebook, Google, Netflix, McKinj & Company have tightened their rules regarding office romance. Office romance is not allowed in McKiji. It is necessary to tell the company first in terms of office romance in Google and Netflix. The teams of those employees can be replaced when there is a confrontation. What rules have big companies have made about office romance.
In today’s time, it has become a challenge for companies to maintain freedom of personal relationships and seriousness of professional environment for companies.
Power balance and office romance: Where are companies standing?
Romantic relationships in the office are not illegal. But when there is a difference of power, it can give rise to discrimination, favoriteism and toxic work culture when it is between the boss and the employee. In such a situation, many companies have kept their policy clean on this.
This is the policy of some big companies
Google allows its employees to a relationship in the office, but if a manager has a relationship with his junior, he has to inform the company about it. The manager has to separate himself from any decision related to that person.
Meta/Facebook
Meta rules are very strict. Any employee can ask his colleague for a date only once. If the front person refuses or does not give a clear answer, then it cannot be tried again.
Netflix (Netflix)
Office relation is also allowed here, but the entire transparency is necessary in it. If the relationship brings some kind of conflict, both can be sent to separate teams.
McKinsey
The company does not allow relationships between employees working at two different levels, especially when a person affects the other’s career.
Salesforce
Here too it is necessary to report any romantic relationship between people coming in the reporting line in HR. The team or role is changed in the event of a conflict.
HR’s role in question
Another thing is shocking in this whole case that the woman seen with CEO Andy Bayran is the HR head of the company herself. HR’s job is usually applying the ethics and policy of the workplace. In such a situation, if HR is in a private relationship with the head CEO, the question arises whether the complaints of the rest of the employees will be heard in a fair manner? When the complainant feels that HR is also biased, the company’s trust structure weakens.
What should companies do?
If the expert believes, then it is necessary to give information to HR in time. Companies should clarify the relationship policy, so that the employees know in advance what circumstances to do. Now many companies are also running training programs, which is explained to the employees how to keep the limit, rules and professional behavior of relationships in the office.