Romantic Interests in the Workplace

Romantic relationships within the workplace can be fraught with difficulties, and can often lead to job loss. Romantic behavior, whether reciprocated or not, is almost always inappropriate in a professional context. Maintaining professional behavior means adopting strict rules for personal conduct and relationships with coworkers and supervisors. Instructors should work with students to help them understand the distinctions between a friend, a co-worker, and a romantic interest. Students should be encouraged to discuss appropriate topics of conversation for the workplace, and what kinds of touching are or are not acceptable. Some students will also benefit from strict guidelines on how much contact they can have with co-workers outside of the workplace. Including these skills early and often in the job training curriculum will ensure that students maintain professional behavior in all of their work relationships.