Affairs in the Workplace (CNN)

[Rooster_DAR]

Im with what JOHAN said... didnt u just have a relationship with some young girl you met at work?

 

This thread had nothing to do with with getting involved with someone at work, it had to do with cheating spouses knumbnuts.

 

Go back and start over stups.

[Rooster_DAR]

I don't understand. You were dating a girl half your age from your office just recently. Now you're saying companies should have policies against that?

 

WTF?

 

Go back and start the thread over, you obviously don't pay attention to details very well.

 

Cheers!

[Rooster_DAR]

OK so I need to set the story straight, it seems we have posters that didn't understand the original topic.

 

This had nothing to do at fraternization in the workforce, but instead the integrity of a workplace affair. I honestly don't think you can stop people from hooking up at work, and I'm still not sure that's a bad thing being that a high percentage couples meet in the workplace from what I've learned.

 

This was a segment on CNN I was commenting on that I decided to open this thread up on, I did not even give my opinion on whether I believed it to be right or wrong.

 

Thanks for everyone's input on this, there were many good points here. I also am against the whole big brother thing, but being in upper management myself I can see how affairs can become a problem at some point.

 

I would be content to see companies at least make an effort to brief their employees about the ramifications of interoffice affairs. I'm not sure how affective this would be, but maybe it would at least get them to think about their decisions to engage in this type of behavior.

 

I mean most big companies have ethics training, why not just add this to the curriculum. Face it, if someone is able to have an affair there are integrity issues that should be questioned.

 

Cheers!

[OldEurope]

Clearly our increasingly permissive society cares less and less about it as the generations continue. Civility, too, is a fast declining factor. More's the pity!

 

As a member of upper management, I would question the integrity, values and honesty of any employee I knew was cheating on a spouse. If they were doing it in-house I'd also question their intelligence. If they're dumb enough to fish in the company pond, what other stupidities would they be capable of?

 

 

Oh, LionKing....

 

I am sure that if some lovely, lithe cat gave you the look there in the mahagony paneled walls of upper management you'd steal a kiss or two...and be purring all the way over to your 4pm meeting...

 

Just playing....!

 

Happy New Year

xo

OE

(Meow!)

[BUENG1]

And as far as EMA's in the workplace, well... from what I've seen, they kinda "take care of themselves." One (or both) parties involved usually end up leaving because it just gets too difficult to work there - nobody gives them any cooperation or respect, and they get "hung out to dry." It's not a pretty sight.

 

Best career advice I've ever gotten: Don't sh*t where you eat.

 

Hmm. Isn't the above a reason why companies should forbid affairs? All of the above ramifications for an affair are very bad for a company's well being. And if affairs are bad for a company's well being then I don't see why a company shouldn't have rules against affairs.

[Rooster_DAR]

Hmm. Isn't the above a reason why companies should forbid affairs? All of the above ramifications for an affair are very bad for a company's well being. And if affairs are bad for a company's well being then I don't see why a company shouldn't have rules against affairs.

 

I think it's because many people are concerned about the "Big brother is watching you" mindset. There are many people out there that think issues are violating constitutional rights by creating regulations like this.

[Green]

This thread had nothing to do with with getting involved with someone at work, it had to do with cheating spouses knumbnuts.

 

Go back and start over stups.

 

hey calm down you should be complemented I even remember that about you.

[silktricks]

I believe the best way for a company to handle fraternization is to not allow personal relationships (dating, living together, or marriage) within the same chain of command... and if it happens, to transfer one of them into another department/role, pronto. In the majority of places where I've worked, this was an unwritten rule that was silently enforced via "social etiquette". It would be unseemly - and managers would lose respect professionally - if they allowed it or engaged in it. I think it mostly depends on the human decency of the management team, from the top down.

.

 

I agree 110%.

[johan]

WTF?

 

Go back and start the thread over, you obviously don't pay attention to details very well.

 

Cheers!

 

I'm with KMT on this.

 

The definition of "affair" I was going by is "A romantic and sexual relationship, sometimes one of brief duration, between two people who are not married to each other."

 

This doesn't always imply the people are cheating on someone else or married to anyone. It's just a hookup.

[mental_traveller]

As a member of upper management, I would question the integrity, values and honesty of any employee I knew was cheating on a spouse. If they were doing it in-house I'd also question their intelligence. If they're dumb enough to fish in the company pond, what other stupidities would they be capable of?

 

Exactly. They have proven themselves to be capable of lying and deceiving the closest person to them in the world. Therefore they cannot be trusted on anything - they are a liar and a deceiver. That alone is grounds for dismissal. It is not a matter of ethics, but sound business practises - you need to be able to trust your employees, they need to be people of their word.

 

Then there are the additional issues of favouritism, effect on morale, office gossip etc that reduce workplace productivity. However, if two people are just dating and are unmarried, or have an open marriage, then it's not necessarily a problem - should be dealt with on a case by case basis.

 

Finally, this is just a matter for each company. Whoever owns and manages the business gets to decide what policy to follow - if you don't like it, don't apply to work there.

[mental_traveller]

All of these observations are true for both affairs and non-affair workplace relationships. If enforcing morality isn't your goal, and the good of the business is, then you have to exclude all fraternization. (If you do it at all.)

 

That's not true. An unmarried person has made no vow of fidelity, whereas a married person has. Thus a married person having an affair is breaking a solemn vow that they made, which indicates inability to keep their word, and major dishonesty. By contrast, two single people having an office romance are not breaking any vows or indicating serious dishonesty.

[Rooster_DAR]

That's not true. An unmarried person has made no vow of fidelity, whereas a married person has. Thus a married person having an affair is breaking a solemn vow that they made, which indicates inability to keep their word, and major dishonesty. By contrast, two single people having an office romance are not breaking any vows or indicating serious dishonesty.

 

I don't care how many rules you put on fraternization, it's going to happen. I read somewhere that a high percentage of people meet their S/O in the workplace, not a surprise to me.

[maritallyconfused]

You cannot fire people for having affairs or more importantly relationships outside of work. As long nothing sexual or overly flirty or obvious is happening at work, there is nothing that can be done. If people want to meet after and date, or have an relations to whatever extent OUTSIDE of work and it does not affect the operation, it can and will be done.

[mental_traveller]

I don't care how many rules you put on fraternization, it's going to happen. I read somewhere that a high percentage of people meet their S/O in the workplace, not a surprise to me.

 

I don't recall anyone saying fraternization would not happen. We're all in agreement on that one.

 

The question is what to do about it. Do you allow married co-workers to have extra-marital affairs and leave them be, or do you fire them once they get caught? As I've said, extra-marital affairs are a breach of marital vows and thus a sign of serious dishonesty and inability to stick to one's word on important matters. It also requires a repeated and sustained campaign of deception and lies to keep an affair going. If I was CEO of a company, I would not want to have people willing and capable of indulging in repeated lies & deception on my team. I would feel if they can do that to their wife/husband, they could do it to me too. So they'd get the sack.