Dating at Work - Violating Company Policy?
Brigitte Kimichik • November 12, 2019
Dating at Work - Violating Company Policy?
Steve Easterbrook recently lost his job
as McDonald’s CEO for having a consensual relationship with a subordinate employee in violation of company policy. According to the company’s policy “It is not appropriate to show favoritism or make business decisions based on emotions or friendships rather than on the best interests of the Company.”
Regardless of the actual terms of the policy, the concern is the risk of potential problems that might arise if the relationship ends badly, including harassment, retaliation and legal liability to the company. As the explosion of the #MeToo movement has emphasized, where there is a power imbalance, the executive’s perception of what constitute’s consent, may not be shared by the subordinate. Recent news involving Matt Lauer
and Placido Domingo
are prime examples.
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