Academic research suggests that romantic or sexual involvement between managers and subordinates can impair objectivity and negatively affect professional judgement. These negative effects may be especially acute when the subordinate is also an employee's direct report. Managers who are involved with their subordinates may be more likely to make favorable evaluations than those who aren't.
They might give them better performance ratings, higher pay raises, and more promotions. This can lead to unfair treatment of other employees and undermine workplace morale.
The reasons for this effect are complicated. On the one hand, people have natural biases toward family members and close friends, which may carry over into the workplace. They tend to see positive traits in loved ones while ignoring flaws. On the other hand, people often behave differently around others depending on whether they feel socially connected or distant. Close relationships may encourage social loafing — each person doing less work because they know the other will cover for them.
There may be a power dynamic in play whereby a manager feels obligated to please their partner. In addition, sexual relationships may create feelings of guilt and anxiety if the affair ends badly, causing further distraction from work.
It's important for organizations to have clear policies against supervisors dating their reports.
These policies don't always prevent such relationships from occurring. Even when they do, it's difficult to enforce them consistently. Some companies allow couples to stay together but move them to different departments or locations to avoid conflicts of interest. Others use formalized evaluation processes that minimize personal bias, like blind review boards. Still, some argue that even well-intentioned managers cannot completely separate romantic feelings from professional judgement. As a result, many experts suggest that businesses should just ban all intimate relationships between supervisors and subordinates.
What risks do sexual relationships pose to objective evaluation and managerial decisions?
Sexual relationships can be particularly challenging for individuals who are in management positions because of the potential conflicts of interest that may arise between personal and professional lives. This can lead to biased decision making and unfair treatment of employees due to favoritism or nepotism. Additionally, sexual relationships may create a power imbalance within the workplace, as one partner may feel more entitled or valued than others.