Valentine's Day Insights on Office Romance

In this Valentine's Day special of OK at Work, attorneys Sarah Sawyer and Russell Berger from Offit Kurman discuss the complexities and legal implications of workplace relationships. They reference a recent Forbes survey revealing that a significant percentage of employees who date or marry colleagues, which can lead to various challenges for employers. The episode talks about potential legal concerns such as harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and favoritism. To address these issues, implementing clear anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policy would be beneficial, as well as handling supervisory relationships with caution. Flexibility and a focus on impact are recommended for effectively managing workplace romances.

00:00 Introduction and Valentine's Day Theme

00:15 Workplace Relationships Statistics

00:50 Challenges for Employers

01:29 Legal Considerations and Policies

02:28 Managing Office Romances

03:17 Company Size and Policy Flexibility

04:54 Supervisors and Different Standards

05:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts