Sheriff's Department Bans Workplace Romance

Marriage will get you fired, too.

By Kristin Wong Jun 20, 2012 3:19PM

Surveys show that over half of all working people have engaged in some sort of relationship with a co-worker. And according to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 31 percent of workers said their office romance has led to marriage. As taboo as dating a fellow employee can be, the fact is, many couples meet in the workplace.

Unless they work at the Putnam County Sheriff's Department in Tennessee.

Sheriff David Andrews has implemented a strict no-dating and no-marrying policy for the purpose of maintaining a "friendly but professional atmosphere" within the department.

The policy reads:

"Employees of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department are not allowed to date or marry one another. In the event employees wish to date one another, one of the parties must abandon his/her employment with the Putnam County Sheriff's Department."

Don't get any ideas, either. Casual flings aren't allowed.

"Romantic or sexual relations between employees at the Putnam County Sheriff's Department are inappropriate and will result in disciplinary action up to dismissal of either or both persons involved."

Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jacky Farley said the policy is meant to prevent workplace conflicts.

"These situations sometimes cause scheduling difficulties or result in conflicts that could get in the way of work," Farley told the Herald Citizen.

But there's a bit of a problem. Some of the employees at the Putnam Sherriff's Department are already involved in blossoming office romances. They will be affected by the new policy. Some of them have said they plan to challenge it in court.

Ashley Brightwell, a lawyer in Atlanta, explains that many workplaces realize that preventing office dating is futile, so they utilize love contracts. Brightwell told the Wall Street Journal:

"It used to be that many companies had strict prohibitions on office romances. Then they recognized that wasn’t going to work, and that no matter what the policies were, employees were going to get involved. That’s when the idea of a love contract came along. It’s a tool that employers use to protect themselves when an office romance goes sour."

So what happens when office romances go sour? According to both Brightwell and this article from the HR Specialist, scorned lovers often "allege that their former lover was a sexual harasser."

So it's understandable that employers would want to get rid of the lovey-dovey business altogether, and legally, they can. But HR Specialist argues:

"…it probably isn't the wisest move. A 'no romance' policy could be nearly impossible to enforce and affect employees who are already involved in relationships with co-workers."

So the new policy might end up causing more problems in the Putnam Sherriff's Department than it's trying to prevent. Still, Farley says:

"We believe the new policy is legally acceptable and that it will help the department maintain a professional atmosphere."

What do you think? Should office romance be forbidden? Did you meet your partner at work?

More on love & sex from MSN Living:

How to Reconnect with Your Spouse

10 Fun, Frisky Ways to Spice Up Your Relationship

The Dos and Donts of Sex in 2012

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85Comments

Best

Jun 20, 2012 4:15PM

I guess the girl he liked, liked someone else.

Previous replies

fanofpaul

Jun 20, 2012 5:49PM

Unless they engage in sexual activity on the conference room table, then I don't think anyone should have the right to ban office relationships. I would rather date someone I know through work than meet randomly in a bar or night club.

Previous replies

Stacey Gomez

Jun 20, 2012 5:48PM

My boyfriend and I met at work, we kept it very secret, didnt let anyone know and never even dropped hints, that worked out well. But it can be distracting and although we are still together and both no longer work at the company anymore, I could imagine how awkward it would be if it did not work out and I had to see him at work. This is a tough decision and topic to even discuss. I dont think it should be banned, but people don't know how to keep things private either...

Previous replies

U R kddng rt

Jun 20, 2012 4:21PM

Yeah! Good luck with that. You can't possibly regulate interpersonal relationships. Being married to a cop is hard and there are very few 'civilians' who would understand just what that relationship entails. If your officers find solace being with their own kind...more power to them. However, if things go sour then you can discipline bad behavior that stems from the fall out. Been married to a former cop for 28 years. The only thing that saved us from certain doom is being able to pull the plug on the career when he couldn't tell the good from the bad anymore.

Previous replies

Kristin Wong

Jun 20, 2012 5:01PM

I bet there was one ugly incident that happened and they came up with this overly simplistic solution. Although the sheriff being jealous is an amusing theory.

Previous replies

Hadenough759

Jun 20, 2012 5:22PM

I was a dispatcher for over 30 years. I met my husband at work, who was a deputy. I know a lot of law enforcement couples who met at work, and never had a problem. Some didn't work,most did. The important thing to remember is you leave your personal life at home and don't bring it to work. My husband never stopped by the house on my days off while he was working, and vis versa. When we went to work our personal life stopped at the door.In fact there were co workers that I didn't date and couldn't stand to be around. Office romances can work, but you have to keep the 2 seperated and act professional at work.