The case for and against office love contracts

“ATM (Er Rak Error)” is the latest Thai movie grossing Bt100-million revenue in 11 days and breaking the record for the highest revenue by a Thai love movie ever, with Bt150 million revenue after 25 days in theatres. “ATM (Er Rak Error)” is a romantic comedy about the forbidden love of a couple working in a Japanese bank which has an iron rule: “Don’t allow a couple to work together”. The movie refers to a research that said 85 per cent of couples working in the same workplace have high tendency to bring personal issues to the workplace and 57 per cent with high tendency to corrupt or have conflict of interest. A situation similar to the movie is happening in the real working life as some organisations don’t allow a couple to work in the same organisation or department, especially financially related.
If one comes in, the other has to go. Workplace romance has been on the rise for tens of years as women enter the workplace in greater numbers and spend longer time at the workplace. The survey by Vault.com in 2011, found that 59 per cent of the respondents admitted that they have experience of workplace romance.
Another forbidden issue in the workplace is sexual harassment which is, like air. We cannot see but we know they exist. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported 11,364 charges of sexual harassment in the workplace in 2011.
A preemptive approach for both workplace romance and sexual harassment, which is a hot issue, is a “Love Contract”. The idea of a Love Contract was conceived about eight years ago but it has become popular in the last few years. What is a love contract? It is a document that is provided for two employees to sign as an agreement stating that the relationship is voluntary and with mutual consent. An official, signed love-contract policy should solve all of your potential problems including charges of sexual harassment at the end of a romantic work relationship.
“When a relationship sours it creates a situation that is almost impossible to deal with,” says Alan Lesnewich, a partner at law firm Fisher & Phillips.
He explains there may be retaliation, in which one gets lesser assignments, is denied a bonus or is even terminated, or is unwanted and does not get continued attention.
“The advantage of a love contract is that you have a document to point to in addition to your normal policy. It’s like a second line of defence.” That’s the view of people who agree with the love contract idea.
Similarly, there are people who think that a love contract will bring unfair conditions to the workplace as we cannot know all the couples and feel confident that all of them will sign the love contract.
Some see the love contract as ‘overlawyering’ because you may have to ask all the employees to sign it. Like the following conversation taken from manpower.com.

HR:  Hello, Greg.
Greg:  Hello.
HR:  I heard you’re dating Marcia. Is that true?
Greg:  No, actually I’m dating Alice.
HR:  Oh, really? I thought Sam was dating Alice.
Greg:  No, he’s dating Carol now.
HR:  Hmm.  I thought Carol and Mike were married.
Greg:  Did you hear that Bobby’s dating Cindy? And that Jan’s dating Peter?
HR:  I quit. (Hands him a stack of love contracts.) Congratulations – you’re our new Head of HR.  Get everyone to sign one of these.

A poll during the Valentine’s period found that 63 per cent of voters said love contracts are a bad idea, with only 37 per cent saying they’re a good idea. There is a Thai saying: “Passionate love is like a mad bull”. So, do you think a piece of paper can stop the mad bull?

Jirat Sirichalermpong is customer and marketing analysis manager at Siam City Cement.