Whether you are feeling lovesick or entirely sick of love, February 14th is here again and St Valentine is no stranger to the many expressions of love and romance we find in the workplace.
We’ve all witnessed the delivery of a bouquet of Red Roses or a dozen heart shaped balloons, maybe not to us but to a work colleague – and the aftermath of the giggles or embarrassment that follows. But when it’s a co-worker who embraces the opportunity to express their undying affection for you – it can get a little more complicated. The workplace can be the beginning of many long and endearing romantic relationships but discretion and privacy is always a good policy when it comes to sharing details with our work colleagues.
That’s not to say of course, that we can’t show our romantic side, or chat about your plans after work, it’s just a good idea to keep it in perspective and consider your environment and your colleagues who may not be the lovesick romantic you are this time of year. Of course Valentine’s Day does offer colleagues an opportunity to organise a charity fundraiser or the social committee’s “work station themed” event to add a little fun and light humour to the office, it can be very entertaining and suitably romantic.
Our advice is that the usual good practice applies on Valentine’s day as it does for other special events at work such as the Christmas party and Summer Party. Managers don’t really want to have to discuss matters of love and romance with you, so it’s a good policy to stick to work and your performance at work and out of work can wait till after 5pm.
For employers who are concerned about romance in the workplace, particularly where it may be unsolicited it is important to have clear company guidelines and policy in place. If you need any advice or support on this, Voltedge can work with you on your specific issues and create appropriate interventions to help protect you and your business. We’d love to talk to you about how we can assist, call Ingrid on 01 5252914 or email info@voltedge.ie to speak to an expert.
