TUC guide to romance in the office

With romance in the air this Valentine's Day, the TUC is urging employers not to ban love from the office or the factory but instead to consult an online guide to relationships at work published today (Thursday).
With the long hours culture enjoying a renaissance, and unpaid overtime on the increase, it's no wonder that around a quarter of long-term relationships begin at work, says the TUC guide.
It says employers should avoid the adoption of love contracts, a practice popular with employers in the US but thankfully still rare in the UK, and instead should be drawing up sensible guidelines that try to protect everyone - the lovers, their colleagues and their employer - should the romance ever turn sour.
The guide provides advice to staff who have just started a relationship at work and are worried that their employer may sack them as a result. It also warns what may happen if they are found in a compromising position in the stationery cupboard, reminding would-be lovers of the need to maintain an acceptable standard of behaviour in work at all times.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'With the long hours that many spend in work, it's hardly surprising that lots of people end up getting together with colleagues. Office romances rarely cause any problems so it would be wrong for employers to adopt a heavy-handed approach to office flirting and introduce strict rules or blanket bans.
'But office Romeos and Juliets may need to be reminded of where to draw the line at work. Guidelines reminding staff of the need to keep their love lives separate from work, and to not let lover's tiffs make workmates feel uncomfortable will prove useful to staff and employers alike.'
Office romantics keen on starting a relationship with one of their colleagues can find a host of useful tips in the guide. They can find out where they stand on relationships at work, what to do when they happen, what to do when they break up and what to do if they want to say no. The full guide is at www.worksmart.org.uk/valentine