With Valentine’s Day coming soon, you might expect to see desks littered with oversize floral explosions and bright boxes of candy—but you might not expect that some of those tender tributes were exchanged by your coworkers. See, office romances that were taboo even a decade ago are now quite common; a recent CareerBuilder survey found that 37 percent of employees have dated a coworker, and 30 percent of those relationships led to marriage. And while these office romances build watercooler buzz, they can also build challenges for the Human Resources Department—especially in companies without a written policy on workplace relationships.

For you supervisors and HR reps playing love police this year, keep a cool head and a warm heart, and PREP for workplace relationships by being:

• Proactive. If hushed voices are talking about a workplace relationship gone wrong, it’s already too late to implement a formal company policy, so don’t attempt to enforce any ex post facto rules (but do enforce federal, state, or local laws, such as to address sexual harassment). And what if those voices are whispering about an upcoming office marriage? Even happy occasions come with potential HR issues, such as nepotism. The best way to avoid trouble is to set a solid written policy that addresses office romance from dating to marriage. Is it OK if a husband and wife work in the same department? Can a manager date a direct report? If you waited to implement policy, you may need to grandfather in any existing relationships.
• Reasonable. Employees spend a lot of time together, which naturally encourages closeness. Many employee romances spark outside the office, at happy hour, lunchtime, or chance meetings outside of work. And sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants: nearly 1 in 10 of those office romances claimed to be love at first sight. The point is, an iron fist won’t prevent workplace romances, it will just force them underground. So make sure your relationship policies are reasonable and realistic.
• Equal. As a matter of good HR practice, it’s important to treat all workplace relationships the same. So if your company has established guidelines about office romances, they must be unconditionally enforced. Equal treatment applies even if the relationship involves an extramarital affair.
• Professional. If you must step in to comment on a relationship, stick to business by addressing performance, productivity, and professional conduct. Steer clear of anything personal, and remember that any personal information confided in you should be kept strictly confidential.

When it comes to office romances, don’t hide your head behind those massive bouquets! Talk with management about establishing a clear written policy to address workplace relationships. And if you’re not sure where to begin, we can help. At YES! Your Human Resources Solution, our professional HR consultants will put 20 years of experience to work helping you set effective and easy-to-understand policies that are right for your business. Don’t wait for whispers around the watercooler—get started today with a free consultation.