Personal & Family Relationships in the Workplace

Personal relationships between colleagues can be an uncomfortable subject matter for employers to approach. Employers are often reluctant to become involved in the private lives of employees, but this is not always possible when there are existing or newly-formed personal relationships between co-workers. This can include romantic or family relationships.
Where there are personal relationships between employees, the employer is tasked with balancing the private lives of its people with the interests of the business.
Whilst not all relationships between employees have a negative impact on the working environment, there are some instances in which personal relationships between employees can cause problems. Where employees actively engage in personal relationships with one another, accusations of favouritism, inappropriate behaviour, and/or abuse of authority may be raised. Other accusations that may be raised include those of coercion and/or conflicting interests. These accusations can be hugely detrimental to the working environment, to employee morale and to the image of the business.

To mitigate the risks associated with personal relationships in the workplace, the introduction of a Workplace Relationships Policy is essential. The introduction of such a policy can:

Support the identification of potential conflicts of interest:
Managers can recognise potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them before they begin to develop into serious issues. Examples of this may include changing the Line Manager of an employee where the relationship is between a Manager and subordinate.
Assist in considering how appointments might affect the working environment:
A manager appointing a relation may draw accusations of favouritism, nepotism and/or abuse of authority from other employees, resulting in workplace conflict, resentment and a stale atmosphere between in the office.
Aid in the allocation of responsibilities to avoid allegations of favouritism and abuse of authority:
A manager who allocates major responsibilities to a relation may be accused of favouritism or may even arouse employee suspicions of fraudulent behaviour where financial duties are allocated to a relation.
Reduce the likelihood of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, and victimisation claims:
A Workplace Relationships Policy may act as a deterrent for inappropriate behaviour in the workplace and can resultingly reduce claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. Such claims can be costly when pursued in court and may cause detriment to the reputation of a business.
Provide a clear framework for reporting and managing personal relationships at work:
Implementing a transparent policy for Workplace Relationships can provide employers with a toolkit for balancing the private lives of employees with the interests of the business, affording significant protection to both parties.

Top Tips for managing personal relationships in the workplace

Ensure that there is a clear Workplace Relationships Policy in place that employees can easily refer to.
Encourage openness and communication; employees should not feel scared or ashamed to disclose personal relationships to HR.
Provide training on professional boundaries so that employees can navigate personal relationships in a professional manner.

Don’t know someone who can help you manage personal & family relationships within your workplace? WE DO.

Find out how We Do HR can assist your business in navigating personal relationships between employees by speaking to the team on 01325488425 or emailing us at admin@wedohr.co.uk

HR Software

Paperwork, timekeeping, and holiday schedule management isn’t on your plate
(or your desk) anymore with customisable HR software and support from WE DO HR.

Learn More