HR Doctor - Ever been involved in a love triangle?
What happens when this involves three of
your employees?
Ok I just wanted to get your attention. But what happens when
this involves three of your employees. A and B live together and
both work for you as does X. A and B are not allowed to work
together as it could lead to a difficult situation. Each outlet has
only a small number of staff so it is a requirement that employees
having a relationship have to inform their manager. The first
difficulty of course is what is a relationship? Even though more
and more companies are devising a 'relationship policy' which are
very common in the United States. I have never seen a policy that
attempts to define what a relationship is they just leave it to
'common sense' or management discretion. If you can suggest a
definition please let me know. Of course no matter how discrete
people are it is easy for colleagues to spot and it usually
provides an interesting topic for everyone. The debating point is
'what has my personal life got to do with work'?
So, back to A, B and X. B is the male and is having an affair
with X with whom he works. A having been moved to another outlet
when she moved in with B. Colleagues of B and X suspect what is
going on and the gossip starts. The manager claims to not know
anything at this stage! But some colleagues have sympathy with A
and take a dislike to X. Now it is having an impact at work. The
manager ignores the problem for a while hoping it will go away, of
course it does not. The manager meets with B and X separately and
they both deny anything is going on so the manager does nothing. Of
course word spreads about the denial and a friend of A who works
with X and B tells A what is going on. A storms into the outlet and
confronts X (keep up!) A is persuaded to go home and another
meeting is held with B and X. Now they admit to having a
relationship but claim it has only just started. What would you do
now?
All three could be disciplined. B and X for not complying with
the Relationship Policy and A for confronting X. The company
decided to informally warn everyone that they had to behave
themselves and act professionally. But they now have to move either
B or X to another outlet. Fortunately they have another outlet and
decide to move X. X takes exception to this and creates a scene
with the manager shouting and swearing at her. This leads to a
disciplinary warning being given to X.
A, B and X are all now working in different outlets but everyone
knows what is going on and most have sympathy for A and are not
happy working with both X and B. A has now gone sick with
'depression' followed shortly after by both X and B. Can it get
worse?
Of course it can. A and X meet on a night out and come to
blows.
Word quickly gets back to work, but can the company do anything
as it did not happen at work?
An investigation takes place and both A and X admit to a brawl
but argue that it has nothing to do with work. The company
disagrees and gives both a final written warning. A who has just
come back to work now goes sick. Both are told that any further
incidents that require company time to be spent dealing with an
issue may result in dismissal.
Did this work?
Eight weeks later B goes to talk to A. X waits outside in the
car. By this time B has been dismissed on a separate matter. A
comes outside and sees X and another altercation takes place this
time involving a fight in the street that requires police
involvement.
A senior manager is appointed to carry out an investigation.
This proves difficult to do as neither A or X will cooperate and as
they are both on the sick they claim they cannot attend interviews.
After two attempts they both attend and present very different
versions of events. The investigating officer recommends that
disciplinary action be taken and it all moves on to the next stage.
Both A and X do not attend the disciplinary hearing so a further
hearing is arranged at which both A and X are told if they do not
attend the hearing will go ahead. Both attend and both are
dismissed. The end!
They can of course still appeal, update in the next issue.
Would you have done anything different? Let me know steve@myhrpeople.com
The time required to deal with this sort of situation can be
very high. It resulted in the loss of three employees and all the
time then associated with recruiting and training three new
employees. Other employees take sides and this can result in poor
morale and poor service.
It is reasonable to take action against employees for actions
committed outside of the workplace. The test of 'reasonable belief'
applies to an employment situation so it is not necessary to prove
beyond doubt who did what. In this case even though both gave
different versions of the final event it was reasonable to dismiss
both.