Model Non-Fraternization Policy

Seven out of 10 Canadian workers say they’ve been involved with or worked with a colleague involved in an office romance. And while over 60% of surveyed respondents are cool with the idea, the fact of the matter is that co-workers in romantic relationships create a host of distractions and potential problems for employers, including conflicts of interest, harassment, discrimination, privacy and other liability risks. With so much on the line, it’s becoming imperative for employers to adopt a policy establishing ground rules for intra-office dating and romance. One approach is to adopt a policy banning any and all such relationships. Because a total ban may be unrealistic and hard to enforce, a better option is to establish limits and require disclosure of relationships, particularly those involving management and supervisory employees and subordinates. Here’s a Model Non-Fraternization Policy you can adopt to implement that approach at your workplace.