Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consensual Relationship Agreements - Case Study Example Some people believe that workplace romantic relationships should be allowed and that employers should never try to inhibit them. Others, on the other hand, believe that these relationships should be inhibited and that the employees should not be allowed to express their feelings and emotions at work because this interferes with proper workplace ethics (Cohen, 2009). Consensual relationship agreement is a process that has been suggested for managing workplace relationships. A consensual relationship agreement is like a relationship contract where two individuals sign an agreement that explicitly reveals their personal and romantic relationships. As they sign the agreement, they agree to be in the relationship willingly and that their relationship will not affect their professionalism in the workplace. Advantages Consensual relationship agreements are extremely useful both to employees and the organization. Having employees sign this kind of agreement will be useful in making sure that any personal relationships in the workplace are well managed (Hellriegel, 2007). Employees will be sure that if the relationship takes a different course that it was meant, they will not be victimized by their partners by being sued for sexual harassment. A consensual relationship agreement will also help the employees to be sober about their professionalism and be able to separate their personal and professional life. Moreover, signing a consensual relationship agreement will be a better way of aiding the employees in having a relationship that they are not ashamed of and that has a better foundation. Consensual relationship agreements are no more of privacy intrusion than a marriage contract, especially considering that there is nothing for employees to be shameful about if their relationship is open and not based on negative foundations such as immorality or cheating other existing spouses. Employees can also benefit from the consensual relationship agreement because it will pro tect them from getting into relationships with people who are not serious about the relationship. All these factors indicate that the workplace will be improved and that the negative effects that come from personal relationships in the workplace will not be a problem. Argument Against Consensual relationship agreements also have negative impacts. For one reason, the use of consensual relationship agreements assumes that the relationships have a starting point. It is not easy to determine when and where a romantic relationship starts so that the parties involved can decide to sign the contract. While the whole idea of consensual relationship agreements is good because it is meant to make the workplace a better place and avoid confusions in the workplace, its implementation can only remain to be elusive. Studies show that employees resent being micromanaged even from a professional point of view, let alone from a personal point of view. Telling employees that they have to sign a contr act or an agreement in order for them to have a personal relationship is not as practical as it is theoretical. The spirit of consensual relationship agreements may be good, but how to implement is the problem. The other issue with consensual relationship agreements is that it fails to consider that relationships are volatile and always shifting. For instance, two people in a