As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s the perfect time for businesses to consider the benefits of implementing a Love Contract. Workplace romance in the workplace is more common than you might think–spending countless hours together can turn a spark of attraction and playful banter into a full-fledged romance. While it can be a beautiful thing for the couple involved, it poses unique challenges for employers. If things go awry, it could lead to significant complications. That’s where a Love Contract becomes invaluable, offering a proactive solution to protect your company and ensure a harmonious work environment.

What’s a Love Contract?
A Love Contract (also known as a Consensual Relationship Agreement) is signed by two romantically involved employees. By signing it, they are representing that their relationship is entirely consensual. They are also acknowledging the employer’s anti-harassment policies and rules.

Does It Really Need to Be a Formal Document?
It does, but it doesn’t need to be a long complicated one. Both parties just need to stipulate that: they’ve entered into a personal relationship, they have received copies of the company policies related to sexual harassment and agree to follow those rules, there has not been (nor will there be) any claim of sexual harassment for any event relating to working together prior to signing this document, they understand either party can end the relationship without fear of workplace retaliation, and that any violation of company policies, including the love contract, could be grounds for disciplinary action.
For larger companies, it may also be important to include stipulations that the parties will refrain from working in the same department or on the same projects.

What’s the Advantage of Having Employees Sign a Love Contract?
A Love Contract can minimize the risk to the company that one of the employees will later claim they were sexually harassed or pressured into the relationship. It can also be used as evidence in court that the employees were on notice about their expected conduct should problems later arise.

Check With a Lawyer
While a love contract can be a fairly simple document, if you choose to write the contract yourself, you should have an employment lawyer or HR professional review it just to make sure it will hold up in court if you should need it.