October 4, 2014
Workplace Romance
It is natural for two people to develop strong , romantic feelings towards each other especially when the two people see each other often. However, there are several ethical landmines afoot. A person’s moral character is defined through their experiences. An ethical dilemma I was faced with was whether or not it was ethical to date a co-worker. When considering the best way to resolve this ethical dilemma one may take into consideration if there is a workplace fraternization policy and what the restrictions are, how the relationship would affect possible promotions, the workplace environment, the co-workers, and how it might affects the person’s individually. Though personal experience I learned that dating a co-worker is not a good idea and would advise against workplace romance.
An argument that can be brought up on dating a co-worker is whether the company you and your interest work for have adopted any policies that ban or limit workplace romance. By dating another employee you are not only risking your job but also the other participant’s job. The legality and the liability of workplace relationships is another factor. Also, other co-workers can claim that the other employee received preferential treatment based on the relationship the employees have. Another consideration to prevent workplace romance is if the relationship goes sour one of the participants can claim sexual harassment and it can lead to legal issues for the other individual as well as for the company. A prospect of promotion can also influence the decision of determining if it is wrong or right to date a co-worker. If the two participants are on the same level at the workplace then the relationship is not judged as harshly versus when a supervisor is dating one of their employees. This has often presented a problem in promoting people who date. The risk of someone else within the company assuming that a promotion was given to an individual