The recent scandal embroiling Phillip Schofield and This Morning has prompted questions about what is and isn’t appropriate workplace behaviour when it comes to relationships between employees. This is especially important given the senior position Schofield held and the, reportedly, very junior employee he has admitted to being in an ‘unwise but not illegal’ relationship with.
Kate Palmer, HR Advice and Consultancy Director at Peninsula says “When you hold a senior position at work, your actions are scrutinised from all angles. Not breaking the law, both from a business and personal point of view, will undoubtedly be top of the list but you’ll also be held to account on your moral standpoint too, even when your actions aren’t unlawful.
“You are expected to set an example for the rest of the organisation; to do the ‘right thing’. If you don’t uphold professionalism, then how you can require that of everyone else?
“Relationships between a university lecturer and one of their students are often considered in the context of ‘power imbalances’. They aren’t illegal given the age of the participants, but it does pose questions on voluntary consent. Does the (sometimes considerably) younger student feel their academic success is reliant on continuing the relationship?
“The same applies in the wider workplace when a senior employee begins a relationship with a younger colleague, especially one that is built on a mentor/mentee arrangement.
“There are also questions to be asked on whether contractual obligations are at play and whether they are being stuck to. It is quite normal for organisations to have rules on workplace romances so that any conflict of interest or other issues can be addressed at an early stage. These rules are there for a reason and breaches can result in valid disciplinary action.
“Dishonesty around a disclosure like that can make matters worse and employers would need to decide what would be reasonable in the circumstances.”