💘Managing romantic relationships at work
- HRNews
- Feb 13
- 2 min read
With high-profile CEO resignations making headlines in 2025 due to undisclosed relationships, the "office romance" has moved from watercooler gossip to a significant boardroom risk. As an employer, how do you balance your team’s right to a private life with your proactive legal duty to prevent harassment?
Key considerations
Since late 2024, UK employers have been under a proactive legal duty to take "reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment. The EHRC guidance is clear; consent is not a static state. What starts as a consensual relationship can quickly shift into a harassment claim if:
A breakup is handled poorly
Power dynamics are exploited by a senior staff member
The environment becomes "hostile or degrading" for the individuals or their peers.
Doing nothing is no longer a legal or professional option. If a relationship turns sour and you haven't taken "reasonable steps" to prevent harassment, your business could be held liable.
To ban or not to ban
While it’s tempting to implement a "zero-tolerance" policy, blanket bans are rarely the answer. Here’s why:
Privacy & Legal Risk: Strict bans can breach an employee’s right to privacy and often lead to "secret" relationships. This makes it impossible for HR to manage conflicts of interest and could lead to claims of constructive unfair dismissal.
The Disclosure Strategy: Leading organisations are shifting toward Relationship Disclosure Policies. By encouraging transparency, you can distinguish between consensual pairings and potential risks.
Confidentiality & Bias: Without a policy, you risk "pillow talk" resulting in breaches of business confidentiality, or grievances from colleagues alleging favouritism in promotions or pay rises.
What this means for you:
Managing this isn't about being the "romance police" - it’s about protecting your culture and your productivity.
A Personal Relationships Policy should define "appropriate behaviour" at work.
This protects the couple from gossip and ensures colleagues aren't subjected to unprofessional displays of affection or domestic disputes.
Your leads need to know how to handle a disclosure sensitively. Moving an employee out of a team without careful consideration can lead to sex discrimination claims if, for example, the female partner is always the one expected to move.
Relationships end. Having a Life Events or Divorce/Separation Policy ensures that if a breakup happens, you have a framework to support the individuals and maintain team stability, rather than facing a sudden spike in absenteeism or performance issues.
Is your "Personal Relationships" policy up to date with the latest EHRC guidance?
At LansburyHR, we specialise in drafting common-sense policies that protect your business while respecting your people. From auditing your current handbooks to training your management team on the new "proactive duty," we ensure you stay ahead of the curve.
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