work relationships

Happens all the time.
It is the only way some people (e.g. scientific researchers) ever meet someone

Legal? How could it ever be illegal? There may be company rules which indirectly refer to relationships that make it advisable to keep it discrete, there might be "unwritten rules" about having a relationship with someone from a rival organisation too....
It's always been rife wherever I have worked.

At the last place I worked, two of the men were married to two of the women in the same department!

In another company, married people were not allowed to work in the same department, even if they had met in that department (one would always have to transfer, but there was always something suitable - or made suitable - for their needs).

At a large company a very handsome male lab tech was assigned to a newly hired and as it turned out ambitious rather Plain Jane female chemist.
There was/is a non-written policy that "non-technical personnel" do not socialize (even lunch) with "technical" personnel, especially if they work together.
As fate would have it they fell in love. Sort of a Beauty and the Beast story in reverse. They bucked the system, married, bought a house and began a happy life together.
Within a year the company transfered the female chemist to another site in another distant state. Her husband was reassigned but not at his wife's new lab. Management told that him if he didn't take the new assignment he would be let go under the company's written policy that employees go where they can be "value adding".
The strain of separation, the cost of flying across the country to see one another and career ambition ended the marriage.
I don't know what happened to the woman since I never heard about her again. The movie star/runway model husband never married again. He still works for the same company. I should add that this man was considered by all who met him to be, modest, kind, easy going, and full of humor. All who who knew this couple felt very sorry for them. This is a true story.
C

Actually, it is illegal (at least, in California) if the two of them are in the same chain of command (ie, one of them is over the other). If they aren't (separate chains or departments), then there isn't an issue. Also, some companies don't like even social relations between rival companies (too much possibility of leaks, for example).

As a grammar note, it should be noted that we are assuming the same company rather than the same profession; if all two people have in common is the profession, then there isn't an issue.

FR

The last place I worked was a Federal agency. There were written rules about fraternization within the same office and branch of authority. It was ignored unless the director felt like enforcing it. We had lots of workplace and sexual harrassment lawsuits there, but it didn't to stop the violations or affect upper management.

It's usually legal...but I don't recommend it. Working together after a break up sucks.

Trust me.

My parents met when they worked together at the same company. They married soon afterwards, and got too keep their jobs until my mom got pregnant and decided to become a full-time mom. As I understand it, it's not really an issue.

Of course, this is Mexico, so rules may differ in different countries.

It's certainly not illegal. If so, I should be arrested. I met and married a guy I worked with. Still married to him. Where I worked, there was a "policy" that they "didn't like" when married couples worked together. And the policy forbade one spouse from being manager over the other, but we weren't managers and we worked really well (even together,) so they generally left us alone.

FinbarReilly said:

Actually, it is illegal (at least, in California) if the two of them are in the same chain of command (ie, one of them is over the other). If they aren't (separate chains or departments), then there isn't an issue. Also, some companies don't like even social relations between rival companies (too much possibility of leaks, for example).

As a grammar note, it should be noted that we are assuming the same company rather than the same profession; if all two people have in common is the profession, then there isn't an issue.

FR

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Umm...I'd really like to see your source for that, Finbar.
Sexual harassment may be illegal; sexual relations are not.

Smiling Ted said:

Sexual harassment may be illegal; sexual relations are not.

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I've worked in places where company policy said married couples couldn't work together. In fact I've seen engaged couples work together until the wedding date, then one of them would switch jobs. But the company has no control over sexual relationships.

And, at least in the US, it's not 'illegal' at all. That would implied a state law or federal law.

Here's an article called "Anti-Fraternization Policies - Extra Protection Against Harassment and Discrimination Claims?" that might be useful. I wouldn't call relationships "illegal" per se, but companies can, as the article says, adopt anti-fraternization policies that restrict or limit office romances. Should a romance develop, the company may be able to terminate one or both parties, though doing so can be tricky.

I hate employment law....

Nepotism

Sexual Favoritism

Anti-Fraternization

Some quick notes:

1) It should be noted that superior/inferior romances have are frowned upon, and I hope I don't need to point out the issues about that.

2) The article on nepotism was included because it deals with married couples. I thought that it was important because that was where office romances could lead, and as part of the logic employers would use.

3) It should be noted that policies that have prohibited non-romantic fraternization have been struck down repeatedly. On the other hand, courts have supported rules that banned office romances.

4) Looking at it from a writer's perspective, although it would be great to support a couple's office romance, the policies prohibiting them are probably one of the more obvious obstacles that they would need to deal with, especially if both of the couple is interested in a career with the company...

FR

vixey said:

And, at least in the US, it's not 'illegal' at all. That would implied a state law or federal law.

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It's a yes and no situation; that is, the relationship is perfectly legal as long as there is no favoritism shown to either person in the relationship by the other person. Once that happens, the relationship is illegal in the sense that a sort of reverse discrimination is occurring (rather than limiting a group, a person is being helped out).

FR

DamaNegra said:

My parents met when they worked together at the same company. They married soon afterwards, and got too keep their jobs until my mom got pregnant and decided to become a full-time mom. As I understand it, it's not really an issue.

Of course, this is Mexico, so rules may differ in different countries.

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That is how is was for my parents too. I'm in America. I think rules may vary by company.