Sex or a relationship in the workplace; cause for dismissal?

  • Maurine La Verge
  • Q and A
  • 21 May 2024
  • Edited 21 May 2024
  • 1 min
  • Managing and growing
  • Staff, Rules and laws

You cannot ban your employees from having a relationship in the workplace. What is more, the freedom to choose a partner is a basic right. Having sex in the workplace can be a cause for dismissal. But only if you have specified in your rules of conduct that it is forbidden.

Code of conduct or employee handbook

You put the rules on amorous relationships in the workplace in your code of conduct or in the employee handbook. You can specify, among other things, that employees must report their relationship, and that making love in the workplace is not allowed. 

You can also describe what happens if an employee and a manager develop a relationship. For example, that one of them will have to move to a different department. If colleagues enter into a relationship and there are no rules, you can agree upon a set of rules then and there. 

Dismissal if lovers do not follow the rules

The work situation can be disrupted if the lovers do not follow the rules. If you cannot find a solution for the problem, you can dismiss one or both employees. 

Your employees do not have to agree to that. This may lead to a court case. If that happens, the judge will check if the ground for dismissal is valid. And they will try to find out if the working relationship can be restored. 

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