Valentine's Day | Should work romance be a taboo?

Romance in the workplace has been something of a hot and steamy topic over the last few years, with tales of illicit rendezvous between colleagues hitting headlines.

Most will have read about the former McDonald’s boss, Steve Easterbrook, who was forced from his role in 2019 amidst claims of “poor judgement” following a consensual relationship with an employee. Plenty will have previously clicked on the story revealing that former British Airways Chief Executive, Willie Walsh, was involved with a colleague – something the airline insisted had nothing to do with his subsequent departure. A quick Google search shows that even everyone’s favourite daytime presenters, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, have admitted to workplace flings – albeit not with each other.

Given these previous headlines, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, HR Grapevine spoke to Heather Maclean, Senior Employment Solicitor at LAW At Work who provided the following tips regarding workplace romance.

When it comes to work fraternisations a blanket ban on love is not the way forward. While a romantic relationship between colleagues undoubtedly comes with certain strings attached, it’s important that HR departments and senior management take a pragmatic and realistic approach to the issue. By following some basic romance rules, employers should be able to let love blossom without fear of recrimination or damaging story headlines.