-->

Written by M.Azim Ulfati

Introduction

In this paper I will write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which I will argue for the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) in a current (or future) workplace. I will then create a counter argument against the use of CRAs in a current (or future) workplace.

I will discuss the ethical principles involved in the use of CRAs and will ultimately create at least one (1) other option besides CRAs that would address workplace romances.

From the case study I will also focus on none ethical ramification of questions 1 and 2.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are to analyze the relationship between the basic organizational behavior models of individual, group, and organizational processes and the productivity of an organization. Examine how ethical decisions are made within organizations. Explore how individual differences, personality traits, and perspectives impact the productivity of an organization.

1.          Argue for the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) in your current (or future) workplace.

I believe that the main goal from the case study of organizational behavior is to understand the consensual relationship agreement in the work place.

However sexual relations is a private matter and it is not related to the company or the employer but when it comes to the workplace and when the employees want to tie or engage in relations with other employees they would need to obey and accept signing of a consensual relations agreement or contract in order to understand the outcomes and policy of dating or relations in the work environment and bind to it.

This agreement can include all guidelines on how to behave and how to make ethical decisions with staff while in a relationship with a colleague. This contract or agreement may consist of all boundaries on many different situations when you are in an office romance status.

It is good and important for every one that when he/she goes to work they should be focused on productive working not wasting time and money courting. Changing of departments can be a good thing to place in the policies, if a person happens to develop relationship in one office or department with other co-worker, he/she should be changed to other office/ departments or should not be in the same department. 

According to a survey, which was administered by Vault.com, an online career center, 46% of the 1,500 individuals looked at had been engaged in workplace romance, and an additional 18% desired it. Of the ones who developed a romantic relationship, 11% had dated their supervisor or another supervisor within the agency. Consensual Relations Agreements help to shield the company and also the employees who are willing to be in a romantic relationship with other employee or specially the supervisor or manager of the company.

I think four motives can be predicted for employees to endorse a consensual relationships agreement and those are like the following.

It is believed that Consensual relationship agreements reduced the possibilities of sexual harassment, lawsuit, in case the relationship does not work the employees may claim that they were forced to be in a relationship but if there is consensual relationship agreement, it states that the relationship was already both consensual and voluntary.

This can have an affect on other employees and minimizes the numbers of staff for being involved with each other in the workplace and ultimately it will discourage the staff in to display love and affection openly.

2.          Create a counter argument against the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) in your current (or future) workplace.

Based on the critics’ ideas, Consensual Relationship Agreements are too intrusive, not productive, and not essential. They believe that consensual relations agreements can cause more problems than they solve however some evidence shows that productivity actually goes up when love is in bloom. When you have a best friend in the office, you tend to feel better about coming to work. Anything that increases your emotional commitment to work is generally not a bad thing. (Gardner, 2008)

Workplace romances can lead to accusations of poor judgment, breaches of ethics, favoritism, lost productivity, poor employee morale, sexual harassment claims and even workplace violence. (Kathryn, 2008)

For instance I would say that they are intrusive because informing an employer of a relationship is interfering into the personal life of an employee. Consensual relations agreements can be ineffective because once an employee signed it, he/she can break it without the company noticing and when it comes to that point, it can be unnecessary.

From the perspective of an employee, I would deeply think about the details and outcomes of signing this consensual relations agreement and I may not sign that contract with a colleague due to very personal relationship and I would prefer to keep it private. Let’s say for instance if I were to sign the consensual relationship agreements my colleagues and friends out there in the department would always keep an eye on me to find a gap where I would have broken the policy or the rules and that would bother me and would not let me well focus on my daily task.

Let’s define that what is a Consensual Relationship Agreement? Consensual Relationship Agreement is a written contract to protect against employees who are involved in relationships in the workplace. For example, two employees dates for like ten months and then they stop dating, one person may believe that the former partner no longer treats them fairly or ignores them when a promotion should be considered. It is at this point that the less senior employee could claim that a hostile work environment has evolved and pursue litigation against the employer. This concept was displayed eight years ago in the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal.   Former President Clinton allegedly had an affair with then a White House intern Monica Lewinsky. As a result, corporate counsels grew fearful that an affair involving one of their executives could end in a big-bucks liability payout (Ayanna, 2012) thus this is a very sensitive subject when it comes to monitoring employees' personal affairs, but when relationships and matters of the heart are concerned, the line between right and an invasion of privacy can become blurred. There are lots of questions and one is that, to what extent an employer has the rights to intervene in the affairs of their employees are plentiful.   What is definable?   Who makes the call?   Can a relationship even be put on paper and measured as to what extent it may or may not affect working conditions?   What about platonic relationships?   Do they fall under employer scrutiny as well?   Does the employer have an ethical responsibility to protect its employees, or the organization itself?   Many employers have developed and implemented Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRA's) in an effort to get out ahead of being sued.

If we think from the prospective of the employer, I would say that CRAs are so important and essential. Usually lots of relationships happen at work and it is wise to have rules and policies in place in order to fight the problems and issues that may arise from the relationship on the job in order to keep the company safe and harmless from being sued.

3- Discuss the Ethical principles involved in the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs).

As far as I know there has been very positive usage of consensual relationship agreement in my previous workplace environment where there has been the ethical principles involved in and it has reduced sexual harassment litigation risks, and favoritism. It has created a professional environment and has ensured that employees and employers can have relations but on voluntarily and consensual basis which is so called ethical principles in the use of CRAs:

In the company where I used to work there are many different diversities traditions, culture with various backgrounds. It is so important and crucial for the company to have wonderful principles and policies and that is why they have it. This company has created a good environment free of harassments without considering race, color, origin, religion, sex, age, handicaps and marital status. This has been a key of success to the company to distinguish quality of practicing admirable business ethics within the layers of the company. In the workplace, ethical behavior is much

more important to a company than making the employer feel having employees like him/her. It can signify remaining in business, and preventing legal actions. Furthermore, workplace ethics are similar, or even the same, as the ethics you follow every day.

There is a need for the code of ethics to be set to the people to obey and the decision process in some cases is often not very easy because of a persons own values, and what they feel is the right thing to do. There are times that a person’s value may not be good and equal to moral principle, then time comes to ethical principles of consensual relationship agreements to play its role.

This is where one could see a possible issue and come up with a policy to avoid that issue from affecting the company it is best to do so, this can save time, money, and problems in the long run. There may produce ethical issues related to Consensual Relations Agreements. Depending on what the employer outlines in the agreement paper and how the information is used.

There are many other ethical issues in the office about office romance to be aware of  and they are sneaking, lying, favoritism, miss use of relationship to promote in a career.

4- Create at least one other option besides Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) that would address workplace romances.

I think dating and relationship agreement can be another option besides Consensual Relationship Agreements. The agreement one consists of a signature and acknowledgement of harassment free workplace policy by the management office and the employee where both the employer and the employee gives all the information about dating and relationship of parties and also the rules and regulation within the work environment.

As I already mentioned it is very important that the companies should set clear rules, regulation and policies for the office romances. It is also possible that the employer create a no work-dating environment where the employee would need to sign a no dating policy and acknowledge it so that if the employee starts dating in the work environment he/she would lose his/her job. This is a very sensitive matter and the companies need to be very careful dealing with romances. Sexual harassment is a big problem and concern and leads the companies or employees to failure and ultimately jail. There are situations where the companies do not feel accountable if a relationship goes sour or leads to lawsuit and court.

There are few methods to reduce it. A waiver for lawsuits should be put into place and signed if a relationship develops to protect the company and employees should have no option other than to sign it. Include peer-reviewed sources to support your position.

Consensual Relationship Agreements are common among many corporations addressing workplace romance. Some companies find the policy as being beneficial and others find it to be harmful to the dynamics of workplace productivity.

Contemporary managers must necessarily build organizations, both structurally and culturally, in a way that recognizes (and appropriately balances) the economic objectives and social realities of the modern workplace. (Glenn M, James M & James F, 2006)

At the end I would like to mention that Consensual Relationship Agreements are more often a waste of time than being more useful based on the research. The workplace has to be for work not romance and if a relationship is developed it should be kept separate and it must not affect the professional work environment.

Conclusion

Turning to a blind eye to workplace romances can be a risky business. (Mark , 2005)

Workplace romance can be defined as a mutually desired relationship that consists physical attraction between two people from the same department or office.

It depends to the companies; in some workplace romance is consensual and mutually welcomed

Romances are characterized by desiring to be with the other person and feelings of emotional and physical attraction, and that may lead to a sharing of personal information, mutual caring and respect, and quite likely sexual behavior such as touching, kissing and hugging, and sexual intercourse.

    Consensual relationship agreements are a good idea for the workplace. They help ensure that even if a relationship goes bad between a person of authority and a subordinate, no one will be held legally liable.   Signing a consensual relationship agreement does not cause either party to waive all of their rights regarding sexual harassment or other wrongful behavior that might evolve at a later date.   However, it may include an arbitration provision.   If any adversarial action is later contemplated, the matter must be resolved through arbitration proceedings and not the public court system.   This has been an issue many in the past and has led to lawsuits and court because the consensual relationship agreement did not work as they two predicted.

In any workplace I think it is not a good idea to have a relationship with your manager or director.   Such relationships may cast doubt on the objectivity of any supervision and evaluation provided.

It is very important that the companies should set clear rules, regulation and policies for the office romances or the employers create a no work-dating environment where the employee would need to sign a no dating policy and acknowledge it so that if the employee starts dating in the work environment he/she would lose his/her job. This is a very sensitive matter and the companies need to be very careful dealing with romances. Sexual harassment is a big problem and concern and leads the companies or employees to failure and ultimately jail. There are situations where the companies do not feel accountable if a relationship goes sour or leads to lawsuit and court.

References

1- Mark , W. (2005). Turning a blind eye to workplace romances can be a risky business,

Kathryn, T. (2008). Employee relations.

Gardner, M. (2008). Office romance? first, sign a contract. . 100(53), 3.

2- Dr David, H. (2012). Consensual relationship agreements. Introduction: , Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Consensual-Relationship-Agreements-924917.html

3-Glenn M, G., James M, O., & James F, M. (2006). The paramour’s advantage: Sexual favoritism and permissibly unfair discrimination. Management challenges,

4- Ayanna, C. (2012). Consensual relationship agreements case study. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/What-Is-A-Cra-1002175.html