Why you need this policy:
A law firm’s control over an employee doesn’t normally extend to the employee’s love life. But when a romance between co-workers affects the workplace and the law firm’s business, it becomes an employment matter. This is most likely to happen when a relationship ends.
You need to implement a Model Conflict of Interest Policy to protect your law firm from harm that can result when employees date their co-workers.
How this policy helps you:
Banning dating between employees is a bad idea. First, it’s an unwarranted intrusion on privacy for which there’s no legal basis. An employer’s attempt to prohibit workplace romances can also lead to discrimination and other legal complaints. Besides that, it’s is unworkable and just about impossible to enforce and will likely succeed only in breeding resentment, harming morale and forcing employees to conduct their affairs on the sly.
Instead, one recommended strategy is to establish a policy based on this Model Tool that spells out what behavior and actions associated with romantic relationships may constitute a conflict of interest that can hurt the law firm.
How to use this policy:
Adjust this policy as required for your office. And in addition to implementing this written policy, make sure your employees know what is expected and receive appropriate training on what behavior is—and isn’t—acceptable in the workplace. Training and instruction should flow naturally from the content of your conflict of interest and code of conduct policies.
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