How would you handle a conflict at work?

best1aim wrote:

According to a survey, 38% of workers said they have dated a co-worker at least once over the course of their career and 28% of workers who dated a co-worker said they have dated someone above them in the company hierarchy.

Did you see this kind of relationship or experience this in your career? How did you handle it? Did your company like this kind of action? How do US companies see this kind relationship? Do US companies have special HR policies if this kind of romantic relationship occurs? How bad or good to have an intercultural romantic relationship inside of US companies?

Can you please share your experience and suggest? Thank you.

One of my co-worker became a friend for the past 8 years. We've seen each other outside of work at BBQs and other outdoors activities with other mutual friends. I befriended her sister and her 3 brothers and was invited to her family's functions on multiple occasions. Then out of nowhere, we dated 18 months ago and now live together.
We were careful at work but knew that, as the relationship grew, at some point people would know. There are 3 other couples at work that we know of. So we decided that the first person who should know should be our department director, especially since she's a manager and I'm an employee of the same department. Now, everybody knows we're together and we managed to keep it professional, although taking coffee breaks together.

As for company policy, it depends a lot on the industry, the company and its culture. In a corporate environment, you must be careful. Also you need to ask yourself what would happen in case of a breakup. It also may be a challenge if one has a responsibility position and not the other. The fact that a relationship is intercultural doesn't matter.

Our company, which works mostly on government contracts so has to abide by very strict ethics and audits rules, is typically advising against this type of relationship between employees. Our ethics standard prohibits relationship between managers and employees.

My girlfriend and I have been working for that company for a very long time now. So maybe they've been more lenient on us and the fact that our boss is easy-going may have helped.
Although, she is a manager in our group and I'm an employee but do not directly report to her since I have my own manager, we do work for the same department and answer to the same director.

In any case, I would advice people to be careful in a corporate environment and to be truthful. You really need to know the co-worker you want to date and have at least some level of trust. It worked for us because we've been friends for so long and trusted each other before being together. Letting your manager/director know about the relationship in a professional manner is a plus so he doesn't get to hear it from someone else.