Valentine's Day and Office Romance

Today is Valentine's Day, the day to rekindle romance or find new romance.  Most employees may look around at the people they spend the most time with every day: their coworkers.  Employers, beware!  Although inter-office romance may seem harmless and lead to a more inviting and friendly work environment, the legal perils of sexual affairs and supervisor-employee relationships are great.  A 2005 California Supreme Court decision makes it riskier for employers to ignore sexual relationships between supervisors and their subordinates.  See Miller v. Dept. of Corporations.

Cutting off the behavior before it begins, and punishing those employees that fraternize not only lowers a company's legal liability, it also is the best way to keep a "friendly" working environment from turning sour.  Companies should engage counsel to implement an appropriate social code of conduct.  Please contact an employment and labor attorney for additional details. For more information on this subject you can read the article by Chris Hoffman in the Forum section of the Los Angeles Daily Journal titled "Frisky Business", dated Thursday, February 14, 2008 - Page 6.

Los Angeles Daily Journal

Article Submitted By: Attorney Brooke M. Pollard