Workplace Romance: Do You Have a Policy for That? If You Don’t, You Should

What can a restaurant do to encourage a collaborative, friendly working culture and protect itself from increased turnover or worse, legal claims for harassment or favoritism? In the wake of McDonalds’ CEO Steve Easterbrook’s decision to step down for having a consensual relationship with an employee in violation of company policy, many are left wondering, is there any room in the restaurant workplace for romance? 

When it comes to a supervisor and subordinate, the short answer is no. Supervisor is defined broadly to include any person that has authority over another. Because of the loss of flexibility in assigning work to employees and the temptation or ability to take an adverse employment action against a rejected party, romantic relationships between manager and subordinate should be prohibited, as in the case of McDonalds. 

The workplace romantic relationship issue may become an increasing problem with restaurants and other industries because of shifting social norms.

The…