Any romantic relationship is complicated. That’s why Dallas executive employment lawyer Keith Clouse believes intimate relationships have no place in offices. Yet, time and again, executives ignore the risks, embark on new relationships and then quickly find themselves in trouble.
For an executive, the risks involved with an office romance are far more complicated than the risks for a lower-level manager. Most lower-level managers need to be concerned only with the fallout from a sexual harassment/discrimination angle. An executive has to be concerned with that and also with the larger picture; engaging in an office romance does not fit with the image of an ethical, mindful executive. Especially when it comes to extramarital relationships, an executive not only puts his own integrity at risk, but he also puts the company’s public reputation at risk. Rumors about an executive’s romantic engagements are not only distracting, but they can actually derail important deals and cause stockholders to sell shares. For these reasons, an executive would be wise to limit any romantic activity to contacts made outside his office building.
This article is presented by the Dallas employment attorneys at Clouse Dunn LLP. To speak to an employment law attorney about workplace issues, send an email to [email protected] or call (214) 239-2705.
