Valentines Day is always a good time to review business policies about dating. Return-to-office policies may mean more workplace romances. Is this a good or bad thing? According to ResumeGenius’ 2025 Workplace Romance Survey, the workplace is fertile ground for hooking up.
About office romances
According to the survey:
- 44% of U.S. workers have successfully started a workplace romance or at least tried to
- 10% have been matched with a coworker on a dating app
- 5% have dated someone they managed, while 17% have had a relationship with someone on their team
- 30% of co-worker relationships have become long term
But romance at work doesn’t always work out. The survey also found that:
- 35% have experienced unwanted advances from a coworker
- 28% have been romantically interested in a coworker who wasn’t interested in them
- 63% of Gen Z employees said they quit a job because of an office relationship
Do you need a dating policy?
Is it legal for an employer to prohibit or otherwise govern dating in the workplace? According to RocketLawyer, “In most states, employers can prohibit or restrict dating in the workplace. In some places, an employer may not prohibit coworkers from dating, but may prohibit a manager and subordinate from dating one another.”
Recognize the risk of not having one, which could lead to employees leaving the company or bringing lawsuits.
- Hostile work environment. Employees may be uncomfortable seeing coworkers involved in a relationship showing public displays of affection (PDAs). In some instances, this could rise to the level of a hostile work environment, triggering claims against the employer.
- Sexual harassment. If one employee attempts to start a romance or seek sexual favors that are unwanted, this creates sexual harassment.
- Favoritism. Office romances can give rise to conflicts of interest, or at least the perception of such conflicts. It’s an offensive sex-based stereotype, but still widely held, that attractive woman who’ve achieved success did so by sleeping their way to the top.
How to create a dating policy
- Consider what restrictions to impose. If you decide to have a dating policy, check state law about what you can and cannot include in the policy. It’s highly advisable to bar dating between supervisors and coordinates consistent with an anti-sexual harassment policy. Consider whether to bar dating between employees in the same department. For example, Walmart says “Do not have a romantic relationship with another associate if the associate is in your chain of command or you have influence over the associate’s conditions of employment or performance rating.” Amazon spells out in detail its policy for dating in the workplace.
- Draft a consensual relationship agreement if desired. This may sound very legalistic, but it bars any future objections that one party was coerced into dating. Obviously, signing the agreement cannot be a condition of employment. You can find templates for this online (search for “consensual relationship agreement” or “love contract”). SHRM has a downloadable consensual relationship agreement that you can customize for your situation. Be sure your attorney reviews it before you put it into use.
- Determine consequences for policy violations. If you do set policy, then also spell out what happens to employees who violate the policy. Depending on the situation, the consequences of violating a company’s dating policy could be disciplinary action or even termination. Warnings may be required before taking any action. Talk to an attorney about what the company’s rights are with respect to this situation.
Important: Whether or not you institute a dating policy, it is essential that you have a sexual harassment policy, instruct employees about it, and provide training.
Final thought
Tread lightly between rules that protect employees and the company from adverse results when employees’ relationships go bad versus depressing romance. It’s Valentines Day and romance is in the air.
As actress/singer Pearl Bailey said: “What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork.”
For additional reading about dating policies in the workplace, see this list of blogs.
