Category: Let's talk
I've always wondered how some of you felt about this rule. The no fraternizing rule. I think it's stupid because a company shouldn't tell you who you can and cannot make friends with. After all, this is a free country. And does this rule apply once your no longer being taught or have any professional contact with those people?
I believe most companies have dropped that. As long as a relationship doesn't interfere witth your work it is no problem and probably unlawful.
If a couple allows a relationship to cause issues at the work place it is just like any other issue at the work place and should be handled as such.
If you're talking about fraternizing with the professionals working for Rehab agencies like O&M instructers, VRTs, etc, its an ethics thing.
They want to make sure that service providers provide equal service to all and that inappropriate relationships don't develop. For example, if I had a client who was a friend of mine, I might give him or her better devices or spend more time with him or her.
In Social Work courses ethics, especially this one, are drilled into students' heads.
I'm not sure if that's what you were talking about but there you go.
I can't really comment on the legal part of this issue.
All I will say is, regardless of my employment situation, for the most part I maintain some professional distance with people that I work with. There are some notable exceptions, but you really have to be mature enough to separate business from relationships. I've heard from women that doing so is easier for us men than it is for women. I guess the only ones who could tell us this for sure are those who have been both.
That being said, I imagine there are a lot of complications that could arise if your employment involves customers or clients who are people you know. Plus, you may understand the relationship and be able to separate things, but the other party may not be able to.
I have spent my career as a software engineer, a business person and an entrepreneur. Those aren't really high-risk categories. However, recently with my voluntary service with the Coast Guard, this is a question I have often pondered: what if the person we were en route to retrieve was a niece, a daughter, the wife, or someone else close to me? Could I keep my head and do my duty for them and conduct myself professionally the same as if it were a stranger? I'm a pretty level-headed pragmatic guy, but, as they say, I haven't been really tested in this situation.
I think a fraternous or nepotous relationship, aside from the accusations that are often mande, poses a lot of complications you should at the very least be aware of, and do a bit of thinking on, before an incident happens. Most often, the difference between choices we're proud of and those we regret, is a bit of forethought and planning.
I think it also depends on the nature of the job. If you're required to work a lot as a team and interact with your co-workers, you may have a more difficult time not letting things get too personal than you would if you all just happened to work together in the same place, but individually.