Valentine's Day tips to avoid office lawsuits | office, employers ...

The workplace is a natural place for people to strike up a romance with co-workers. But office romances can create legal issues for employers, says James J. McDonald Jr., managing partner of Fisher & Phillips, which has an office in Irvine.

"Office romances can often lead to lawsuits, particularly if they end badly," he says. "Employers can protect themselves from litigation by taking some precautions."

The workplace is a natural place for people to strike up a romance with co-workers. But office romances can create legal issues for employers, says James J. McDonald Jr., managing partner of Fisher & Phillips, which has an office in Irvine.

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Here are McDonald's four Valentine's Day tips:

? A policy against fraternization should be in the employee handbook, but employers can only go so far toward legislating who can fall in love and who can't. Employers must decide what the consequences for noncompliance with company policy will be and enforce them without bias.

? Employers should implement a policy that prohibits managers and subordinates from engaging in romantic relationships. The risk is that supervisors who have office affairs with subordinates may become the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit if the subordinate later claims to have been coerced or pressured into the relationship for fear of his or her job.

? When co-workers fall in love and have legitimate relationships, a growing number of companies require them to sign consensual relationship agreements, which state that the relationship is voluntary, thus reducing the employer's exposure to harassment claims.

? If the boss is dating an employee, the boss must not manage the subordinate when it comes to promotions, raises or evaluations. In these cases, bosses are advised to request that another manager take those roles to eliminate the perception of favoritism.

--Jan Norman

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/office-495885-employers-relationship.html

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