Managing Workplace Relationships
The Bottom Line
BBC
4.6 • 615 Ratings
🗓️ 16 February 2017
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We spend a third of our life at work so it's inevitable that relationships blossom, whether it's a one night stand at the Christmas party or one that becomes a long term partnership. How do companies handle the issues that can arise from office romance? Evan Davis and his guests discuss the solutions.
GUESTS
Neil Morrison, Director, Strategy, Culture and Innovation. Penguin Random House
Helen Farr, Partner, Employment Law Group, Fox Williams
Danielle Harmer, Chief People Officer, Metro Bank.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is the BBC. |
| 0:02.0 | In this edition of the Bottom Line, we're discussing the complexities of handling romance and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. |
| 0:12.0 | Hello and welcome to the programme. |
| 0:15.0 | And this week we're delving into the intersection of business and personal lives. |
| 0:20.0 | In a sentence, we're talking about love and |
| 0:22.5 | sex and appropriate and inappropriate behaviour at the workplace. But let me expand on that. |
| 0:27.9 | We go to work and we adopt a professional persona, but we are still our normal human selves. And |
| 0:34.1 | indeed, we're encouraged to be authentic and personable. Sometimes women are told to dress in an |
| 0:38.8 | alluring way to be feminine. But at the same time, you can't behave at work as you might in a nightclub. |
| 0:45.8 | So what are the rules these days and what are the pitfalls of staff entangling their personal |
| 0:50.7 | relationships into their working lives? It can be a hazardous area and large |
| 0:56.0 | employers have to worry about it and the associated issues of respect and non-discrimination, |
| 1:01.3 | privacy and freedom. Tricky questions can arise that require diplomatic answers, which I'm hoping |
| 1:07.4 | my three guests this week can provide. And let's meet them now. |
| 1:11.7 | And first up is Danny Harmer, who is Chief People Officer at Metro Bank. |
| 1:17.2 | And you've been in human resources at HR at other banks too, Danny. |
| 1:21.7 | Yes, I have. |
| 1:22.8 | Have you ever had romance at work and affair at work? |
| 1:26.2 | No, primarily actually because I've been married for so long. |
| 1:29.7 | Right. Is it an issue in banking? Are there lots of office relationships at Metro Bank or |
| 1:34.3 | you're in your previous bank? There are lots of office relationships. Actually, you know, we can |
| 1:39.1 | talk about it. I'm not sure it's as big of an issue as people think it is if you handle it |
... |
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