Can a relationship with a junior coworker lead to termination...?

I’m a VP at my company and sometimes spend time with a coworker from another department. She’s junior and doesn’t report to me. If we were to end up spending the night together on a business trip, could I be terminated if my employer finds out? And could she report it later, even if it was mutual?

From what I’ve seen, a lot of companies have policies on workplace relationships, especially if there’s a senior-junior dynamic. Even if it’s mutual, it could be risky.

Kit said:
From what I’ve seen, a lot of companies have policies on workplace relationships, especially if there’s a senior-junior dynamic. Even if it’s mutual, it could be risky.

Totally. Some companies are super strict about it. Even if they’re from a different department, there can still be issues.

Kit said:
From what I’ve seen, a lot of companies have policies on workplace relationships, especially if there’s a senior-junior dynamic. Even if it’s mutual, it could be risky.

Makes sense. I think it’s best to know the company’s stance on relationships to avoid surprises.

Is there a rule or something where you work about relationships between employees?

Rory said:
Is there a rule or something where you work about relationships between employees?

OP said there aren’t specific policies in place, so it could go either way. But still, might be worth being cautious.

Rory said:
Is there a rule or something where you work about relationships between employees?

Yeah, even without a policy, it might look bad if it’s found out. Companies can be funny about appearances.

I think the worry might be if the relationship doesn’t stay friendly. Then she could report it if things go sour.

Ben said:
I think the worry might be if the relationship doesn’t stay friendly. Then she could report it if things go sour.

Right? Sometimes people say everything’s fine until it’s not. Things can get messy if the dynamics change.

Ben said:
I think the worry might be if the relationship doesn’t stay friendly. Then she could report it if things go sour.

Exactly. It could turn into a problem if anyone feels mistreated later on.

Is there a chance you could ask HR for clarity without mentioning specifics? Just to get a feel for the policy?

Rafe said:
Is there a chance you could ask HR for clarity without mentioning specifics? Just to get a feel for the policy?

I haven’t told HR anything, so I guess I could ask generally, but I’d worry about raising any flags.

Rafe said:
Is there a chance you could ask HR for clarity without mentioning specifics? Just to get a feel for the policy?

Yeah, asking too many questions might get their attention, but maybe some general advice from HR could help.

Just FYI, even if it’s mutual, sometimes companies view any relationship like this as a potential liability. Happens a lot.

Charlotte said:
Just FYI, even if it’s mutual, sometimes companies view any relationship like this as a potential liability. Happens a lot.

True. Even if there’s no actual policy, they might see it as a risk to their ‘reputation’ or whatever.

Charlotte said:
Just FYI, even if it’s mutual, sometimes companies view any relationship like this as a potential liability. Happens a lot.

Totally agree. Companies often want to avoid any drama, even if it’s not in the handbook.