Managing Workplace Romances: HR Policies That Actually Work Share ✕ Updated on: 4th Feb 2026 9 mins read Blog Workplace Culture Managing workplace romances is something most HR teams avoid until a problem lands on their desk. I get it. About 58% of employees admit to having a romantic relationship with a colleague at some point in their careers. The numbers are higher in industries with long working hours and tight-knit teams. Here’s the uncomfortable truth. Banning office romances outright does not work. People spend 8 to 10 hours daily at work. Connections form naturally. Your job as an HR professional is not to play moral police. Your job is to protect the organization and the individuals involved. That requires clear policies, consistent enforcement, and a healthy dose of practical thinking. The companies that handle this well create frameworks that acknowledge human nature while minimizing legal and operational risks. Why Managing Workplace Romances Requires Clear Policies Most Indian organizations treat workplace relationships like the elephant in the room. Everyone knows they exist. No one wants to address them openly. This silence creates risk. The legal environment has changed. Under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013, employers carry a clear responsibility. A consensual relationship today can turn into a complaint tomorrow if things end badly. Without clear policies or documentation, organizations are left exposed. But the risk isn’t only legal. Ambiguity around workplace relationships leads to real operational problems: Perceived favoritism hurts trust, morale, and productivity Employees hesitate to report genuine harassment concerns Managers struggle with reviews and decision-making involving partners Gossip and speculation distract teams from real work High performers exit to escape uncomfortable or toxic dynamics Ignoring the issue doesn’t make it disappear. It just makes the consequences harder to manage later. The real costs of ignoring workplace romances The financial impact of poorly managed workplace relationships is staggering. A single sexual harassment lawsuit costs Indian companies between Rs 15 to 50 lakhs in legal fees alone. That excludes settlement amounts, which remain confidential but often reach crores. Turnover costs add up quickly. When a workplace romance ends badly, at least one person typically leaves. Replacing a mid-level employee costs 50% to 200% of their annual salary. For a manager earning Rs 15 lakhs annually, that is Rs 7.5 to 30 lakhs in recruitment, training, and lost productivity. Reputational damage is harder to quantify but equally devastating. One viral social media post about inappropriate workplace behaviour tarnishes your employer brand for years. Key Components of Effective Workplace Romance Policies A comprehensive policy addresses relationships proactively rather than reactively. You need clear guidelines that employees understand before they find themselves in situations requiring disclosure. Your policy should be accessible in your employee handbook and HRMS portal. HROne clients often store these documents digitally with acknowledgment tracking to confirm every employee has read and understood the terms. Disclosure requirements for managing workplace romances Disclosure is the cornerstone of any effective workplace romance policy. Employees need to know when, how, and to whom they should report a romantic relationship. Timing matters. Most policies require disclosure when a relationship becomes “serious” or “ongoing.” Define these terms clearly. A practical definition is any romantic relationship that has lasted more than 30 days or involves employees who work together regularly. The disclosure process should be straightforward. Employees report to HR directly, not their immediate supervisor. This prevents awkward conversations and ensures confidentiality. Your HRMS should have a secure channel for these sensitive communications. What happens after disclosure is equally important. HR reviews the situation, identifies potential conflicts of interest, and documents the relationship. This documentation protects everyone if issues arise later. Love contracts and consensual relationship agreements Love contracts sound cheesy. They work. A consensual relationship agreement is a document where both parties confirm three things. First, the relationship is voluntary and consensual. Second, both employees have read and understood the company’s harassment policies. Third, both agree to maintain professional conduct regardless of relationship status. These agreements serve a specific legal purpose. They establish that the relationship was consensual at a particular point in time. If one party later claims harassment, the agreement provides evidence of initial consent. Important considerations for Indian organizations: Get a legal review before implementing love contracts Store agreements securely with limited access Update agreements if relationship status changes Never pressure employees to sign under duress Handling Supervisor-Subordinate Relationships This is where things get complicated. Relationships involving a power imbalance carry the highest risk for organizations. The subordinate partner’s consent is always questionable when their career depends on the senior partner’s decisions. Your options for handling these relationships include: Mandatory disclosure within 7 days of relationship starting Immediate transfer of reporting relationship Prohibition of any performance-related decisions involving the subordinate Regular check-ins with both parties by HR Documentation of all role changes and reasons Some organizations ban supervisor-subordinate relationships outright. This approach is cleaner on paper, but pushes relationships underground. A better strategy acknowledges these relationships happen and creates structural safeguards. When managing workplace romances requires structural changes Transfer protocols need clarity before you need them. Decide in advance how your organization handles reporting line conflicts. These are some of the questions to answer: Which partner moves? Typically, the senior partner moves to avoid appearance of retaliation against the junior employee. Make this explicit in your policy. What if transfer is not possible? Smaller organizations or specialized roles limit transfer options. In these cases, consider bringing in an external reviewer for performance assessments or having skip-level approval for all decisions affecting the subordinates. How quickly must changes happen? Set timelines. A 14-day window for implementing structural changes works for most organizations. Faster is better. Policy Enforcement and Training Best Practices A policy nobody knows about is worthless. A policy applied inconsistently is worse than having no policy at all. Enforcement requires investment in training and communication. Start with new employee orientation. Every new hire should receive policy information during onboarding. Document their acknowledgment. HROne’s onboarding module lets you automate this with digital signatures and completion tracking. Annual refreshers matter. Workplace romance policies fade from memory quickly. Include them in annual compliance training alongside harassment prevention content. Manager training is non-negotiable. Your people managers are the front line for identifying relationship dynamics that affect team performance. Training managers on managing workplace romances Managers need practical skills, not legal lectures. Focus training on: Recognizing signs of workplace relationships (changed behaviour, scheduling patterns, interaction frequency) Understanding when and how to escalate concerns to HR Maintaining neutrality and avoiding gossip Documenting performance issues objectively Handling team dynamics when relationships become public knowledge Red flags that managers should report immediately include: Visible favouritism in assignments Uncomfortable body language from team members Requests for schedule changes that seem coordinated Complaints from colleagues about perceived unfair treatment. Train managers to separate their personal opinions from professional responsibilities. They do not need to approve of workplace romances. They need to handle them professionally. Navigating Breakups and Relationship Conflicts at Work Relationships end. When they end at work, the professional relationship must continue. This is where many organizations struggle most. Your policy should set clear expectations for post-relationship conduct: Professional communication is required for work matters No retaliation or negative treatment based on the former relationship No attempts to damage the other person’s professional reputation Continued compliance with all harassment and workplace conduct policies Immediate reporting of any uncomfortable interactions to HR Most breakups resolve without HR intervention. Adults manage their feelings and maintain professionalism. But some situations escalate. HR needs protocols for these scenarios. Preventing harassment after workplace romance ends The weeks following a breakup are the highest risk for harassment claims. One party may feel hurt, angry, or embarrassed. These emotions sometimes translate into problematic behaviour. Proactive steps for HR: Schedule individual check-ins with both parties within the first week Remind both employees of conduct expectations and available support resources Monitor for changes in attendance, performance, or interaction patterns Provide clear channels for reporting any concerns without judgment Document all conversations and observations When behaviour crosses lines, act quickly. Verbal warnings, written warnings, or termination depend on severity. Document everything. A pattern of minor incidents creates grounds for serious action even when no single incident seems termination-worthy. Consider mediation for conflicts that affect team productivity but do not rise to harassment levels. An external mediator sometimes resolves tensions that internal HR cannot. Let’s Wind Up! Managing workplace romances is not about controlling employee behaviour. It is about protecting your organization and your people from preventable problems. Clear policies create shared understanding. Consistent enforcement builds trust. Proactive training prevents escalation. Review your current workplace romance policy this quarter. If you do not have one, start drafting. If your policy exists but lacks the elements covered here, update it. The time to build these frameworks is before you need them. Your future self will thank you for the preparation. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Should companies completely ban workplace romances? Total bans rarely work and often push relationships underground where HR has no visibility. A better approach is regulating high-risk relationships like supervisor-subordinate pairings while allowing peer relationships with appropriate disclosure requirements and conduct expectations. Q: When should employees disclose a workplace relationship to HR? Disclosure should happen when a relationship becomes ongoing or serious. Most policies define this as lasting more than 30 days. Supervisor-subordinate relationships require immediate disclosure within 7 days of the relationship beginning, given the higher risks involved. Q: What is a love contract and is it legally binding in India? A love contract or consensual relationship agreement documents that both parties confirm the relationship is voluntary. While not specifically tested in Indian courts, these agreements provide valuable evidence of initial consent if disputes arise later. Q: How should HR handle a workplace relationship that ends badly? Schedule individual check-ins with both parties, remind them of professional conduct expectations, monitor for concerning behaviour changes, and provide clear reporting channels. Act quickly on any harassment concerns with documented disciplinary steps. Q: Can an employee be terminated for having a workplace relationship? Termination solely for having a consensual peer relationship is risky legally. Termination becomes appropriate when employees violate disclosure requirements, engage in harassment, allow relationships to affect work performance, or refuse structural changes required by policy.
