The choice to terminate someone for dating a colleague might be considered relat

Question

The choice to terminate someone for dating a colleague might be considered relatively progressive when compared to the days prior to modern laws in certain countries that manage interpersonal relationshios in the workplace (e.g. prohibition of sexual harrassment). Yet, one might still be surprised by the reaction of the two authors of a primer on workplace romance, Stephanie Losee and Helaine Olen, who questioned the Red Cross' termination of its former president, Mark Everson, after just six months in the position, after it was found that Mr. Everson had a personal relationship with a subordinate.

Losee and Olen suggest instead sinething akin to utilitarian analysis which weighs the man's errors and the cost of his departure to the Red Cross against the benefits he brought to the organization.

1. Assume you are charged with drafting your organization's policy on worplace dating.

2. In which direction will you tilt with regard to its management of this issue?

3. Utilitarian, such as Losee and Olen, or more in line with the 12 percent of workplaces that simply prohibit workplaace dating in order to have a clearer line of demarcation?

4. If you opt for the former, what ethical issues do you anticipate and how do you plan to respond to them because planning ahead will help you to prepare most effectively and ethically?

5. Who are your stakeholders and what options do you have in your responses to those stakeholders in order to best meet each of their interests and rights?

6. If you opt for a prohibition, how do you plan to enforce it?

7. Are you willing to hire someone who is dating a current employee?

8. Must they stop dating?

9. What problems might arise as a result of your policy, in either direction?

Explanation / Answer

I would be more inclined to not have any “anti-fraternization policy” for the following reasons.

By going for no anti-workplace dating policy it could also raise some ethical issues,

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