Employees and outside relationships with customers

Paige

We are a housing facility for students and a manager questioned me the other day about our employees visiting/dating residents after hours. My first thought was--what employees do after hours is their own business. We can't necessarily "ban" employees from being here after hours--several come in to use our fitness facilities. And as long as the "relationship" is not affecting job performance, what difference does it make?

The manager, however, is looking at it from the viewpoint of--what if the relationship goes sour? The students makes an accusation of some wrong doing and parents call the manager asking why this employee was allowed to be with their daughter.

Of course I'm throwing out all the what ifs--how can we protect their daughter from any Joe Schmoe coming in? Are we discriminating against this person because they are an employee? Would we ban EVERYBODY from visiting students?

Who's right here?

Crout

It all depends on the nature of your business, and what you mean by "students." IF....the students are under 18, and have been placed at your facility by the court system, then allowing employees to have romantic relationships with them would be child abuse. If the students are under 18, are there voluntarily and being funded by their parents, it MIGHT not technically be child abuse, but is a REALLY bad idea. If one of those situations applies, I would most certainly ban all employees from having romantic relationships with the students. If employees use the gym, etc, you can establish hours for employees only.

Don D

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-19-02 AT 01:34PM (CST)[/font][p]I would err on the side of caution and state a policy prohibiting my staff from fraternizing with the student residents to include being in their apartment at any time without a specific work order instructing them to be there on a maintenance call. I may be way off base, but I think this comes up far short of telling somebody what they can do on their own time. You may not stop it, but the policy will go in your column in the courtroom. And I would tell them this also includes hanging out in an apartment with male boarders, drinking beer and watching football games. It's not just the sexual scenario that can sink your reputation quick among the parents' network.

Theresa Gegen TX

I agree with Don. Serious issues could arise, especially if the employee could get access to the "friends" apartment by using the keys that you supply. I'd rather be safe than sorry, and while you might not be able to regulate what the employees do off your property, you certainly can regulate what they do on your property.

Good Luck!