Happy Valentine’s Day, or as we like to call it, your annual reminder about the importance of harassment training. In keeping with the holiday, our theme is romance in the workplace. We check in with various employment law attorneys to get relevant opinions on how to keep problems from occurring.
Employment law experts weigh in on Cupid at work
Robin Shea offers commentary on a Psychology Today article about questions one should ask before starting a workplace romance. Check out her post Be my workplace valentine? We’ll see . . .
In I hate Valentine’s Day, and employers should too, Jon Hyman offers three reasons why in the form of lawsuits. He also ends with this especially good advice:
“Harassment prevention should be a 365-days-a-year mission. If you ignore your obligation to educate your employees about the dangers of harassment, Cupid’s arrow will carry the barb of a sex-harassment lawsuit.”
When Cupid’s Arrow Strikes the Workplace – Adam R. Seldon says, “… employers should use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to examine their workplace policies to ensure they adequately address the risks associated with workplace romance.” In addition, he offers tips for employers looking to minimize liability due to workplace love gone-awry.
Daniel Schwartz asks: Can You Love Employment Law and Love Valentine’s Day?
Swipe Left to Avoid Liability: Policing Dating Apps in the Workplace: Hera Arsen points to potential dangers in smart phone dating apps. These apps alert users to other users within the same geographic location. She also says that employers should consider workplace romance policies, as well as so-called love contracts.
This year, with Valentine’s Day falling on a weekend, millions of office employers dodged the perilous day. For those still working, Jonathon Segal offers employers 7 guard rails to consider for Valentine’s Day – good advice to tuck away for next year.
Finally, in its debut, HR Works Podcast: How Should You Address Workplace Romance?, BLR tackles the sensitive topic of workplace romance. Legal Editor Jennifer Carsen talks about why employers should care. She also points to potential problems that can surface, while suggesting actions employers can take to ensure that romantic relationships between employees don’t have negative consequences in the workplace.
ESI EAP offers training for supervisors in sticky issues like workplace harassment – all part of our acclaimed ESI Management Academy. To learn more about how ESI can provide more employee EAP benefits and more employer services, call us at 800-535-4841.