Argument for the Use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (cras) in My Current (or Future) Workplace

Argument for the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) in my current (or future) workplace

Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRA) is a contract that both employees involved a romantic relationship sign to acknowledge that their relationship is voluntary and that they will abide by the policies of the company regarding anti-harassment and anti-discrimination. (Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J.W., Jr. (2011). Office romance should be addressed in a more constructive and professional way just like behaviors such as attendance, dress codes, non-disclosure agreements etc. If one can argue that it is perfectly acceptable for employees with personal challenges (such as death in the family, childbirth, sick family member) can come forward and receive assistance and support in the form of personal time-off from work etc. then it must be reasonable for other employees who become romantically involved to get some type of support from their employers.

What’s more, the risks of office romance can better be mitigated if the risk factors are known and managed. So, for example, lawsuits from employees who claim they were coerced into an office romance and disadvantaged by it can be avoided because employees signed the CRAs of their own volition. Next, allegations from other employees of real or imagined favoritism from a supervisor to a subordinate with whom he or she is romantically involved can be averted because HR would have already taken steps to ensure this does not happen. By creating a mechanism which provides specific and detailed guidelines for professional workplace behavior, HR professionals are able to educate and caution employees about appropriate or inappropriate workplace etiquettes. Privacy issues or lack thereof, as related to dating in the workplace would also be appropriately addressed with the employees involved so they cannot claim that were unfairly treated. Another compelling reason why I would argue for CRAs in my current and future workplace is that in light of the legal ramifications of the rights of employees in the workplace, CRAs become an expedient and prudent way to protect the interest of an organization and simultaneously provide safe and meaningful ways for employees to freely explore and express their sentiments for others who might feel the same way.

Organizations spend a lot of time and resources on strategic planning and forecasting. The purpose of such planning is to position the organization to accomplish two major goals: stay abreast with, or ahead of, the competitive marketplace and change current processes and approaches that are not yielding desired, or expected results. These are proactive steps to assure progress and success. In my judgment, CRAs facilitate and enhance such strategic plans by staying ahead of a changing workplace in the modern age and ensuring that valuable human resources will not be lost and thereby jeopardize more important

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