Workplace romance – the one term that makes HR personnel frown and employees quiver. There have been several debates over the potential pitfalls that trail workplace romance. Many argue that workplaces with no policies against office romance are often agog with complaints about unproductivity or favoritism.
Thus, a large number of modern organizations are wary of hiring spouses to work together in the same company. Today, the average Jim can’t ask out Jessica from Marketing. Instead, he has to look up Ukrainian brides on the internet instead of getting hitched to Jessica due to company policies.
While these organizations’ fears are grounded, it’s important to view this issue from several perspectives. Hiring spouses to work in the same company might have a lot of glaring disadvantages but it certainly has some pros as well. In this article, we’ll explore both sides of the coin and discover the pros and cons of this concept.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
Pros of Hiring Spouses Within the Same Company
Increased loyalty
Over the years, it has been proven that couples who work in the same organization tend to feel more loyal to their employers. Since they commute to work and handle work-related issues together, it’s easier for them to strike a healthy work-life balance. This way, neither party would see the need to ditch their present job for a less demanding alternative.
Similarly, when an organization makes extra efforts to hire couples and is committed to valuing their relationship, the couples in question reciprocate by expressing more loyalty. As such, it becomes a win-win situation for both parties.
Team playing
Every HR personnel and manager knows the struggle behind trying to encourage team playing amongst employees. It can be hard to get Timmy from Design and Mary from Marketing to work on the same project when they hate each other’s guts.
However, with couples, the reverse is usually the case. Most couples are more than ready to work together on a project without any need for external encouragement. Thus, when you hire spouses to work within your company, you definitely won’t need to worry about boosting their team playing spirit. They’ll be willing to team with themselves or other employees to benefit the company and carry out the project at hand.
Increased productivity among employees
Hiring spouses to work for your company can help to create a positive energy within the workspace. When two people who enjoy a healthy, happy relationship get the opportunity to work in the same space, it leads to an equally happy work environment. This, in turn, greatly boosts productivity amongst workers.
Cons of Hiring Spouses Within the Same Organization
Now that we’ve explored the benefits of hiring spouses to work together, it’s time to take a closer look at the potential pitfalls that come with this move. Here are some of them:
Nepotism
This is one of the most commonly cited arguments against hiring couples to work in the same company. In most cases, this move could lead to nepotism and favoritism, especially when one party is a direct supervisor to their spouse.
In cases like this, other co-workers might feel sidelined or left out when one employee keeps getting the best assignments, projects, and benefits solely because of their romantic affiliations with the supervisor.
Reduced productivity
Although we mentioned earlier that hiring spouses can lead to increased productivity, it’s a double-edged sword. A large percentage of spouses working in the same organization tend to use company time to make small talk or catch up on personal affairs. At the end of the day, less work is done and productivity levels drop.
Although it’s healthy for colleagues to associate and converse with each other, excessive chit-chat (which is common among spouses) can be distracting and subsequently reduce productivity.
Personal problems become work problems
In some cases, spouses may bring personal squabbles to the workplace. For instance, on occasions when they have a couple’s tiff at home, the palpable tension could play out in the office. You might have one partner outrightly refusing to team up on a project because they’re displeased with their spouse. What’s worse, they could even go all out to have an actual squabble in the office.
In the long run, the company bears the brunt of their relationship issues.
The Bottomline
Hiring spouses to work within your organization can be conflicting for any HR personnel or manager. That’s why we’ve outlined the pros and cons of this concept to help you weigh your options.
If you’re overly concerned about the cons, there are several steps you could take to mitigate the risks. For instance, some organizations create policies to ensure that no employee reports directly to their spouse. This way, the risk of nepotism or unproductivity will be significantly reduced.