Most of us know someone who has met a romantic partner in the office. Surveys consistently show that around a third of employees have had a workplace relationship at some point in their career (Global Payroll Association, 2025). In the modern world, workplace relationships are no longer just a matter of gossip or HR awkwardness: they have become a board-level governance issue.
Recent high-profile examples from the UK demonstrate that undisclosed or unmanaged relationships, particularly where there is a disparity in power or seniority between the individuals, can destabilise organisations, end careers and expose companies to legal, reputational and regulatory risks.
For HR leaders, the question is not whether relationships will happen at work, but how to manage them in a way that respects employee rights while safeguarding organisational integrity.
High profile cases leading to change
Two prominent cases from the last few years have shown just how disruptive workplace relationships can be, and both have prompted significant policy changes in the organisations involved.
At BP, CEO Bernard Looney resigned in 2023 after failing to fully disclose past personal relationships with colleagues (BBC News, 2023). The oil giant responded decisively by introducing sweeping new requirements. From that point forward, all employees – including senior managers – were required to declare any intimate relationships, even those that had taken place within the previous three years. Failure to...
A surfer at the centre of serious allegations surrounding a recent competition has received a formal apology after the claims were confirmed to be false. The Channel Islands Surfing Federation (CI...