Inappropriate workplace relationships

[Lobouspo]

If its common knowledge a married supervisor is having a sexual relationship with a married underlying and showing favoritism, what is the best way to report it? How much "proof" do you need of the affair and the resulting special treatment?

[mammasita]

Talk to HR, they should launch an investigation.

[Got it]

If its common knowledge a married supervisor is having a sexual relationship with a married underlying and showing favoritism, what is the best way to report it? How much "proof" do you need of the affair and the resulting special treatment?

 

I would speak to your HR department. While a fair number of companies do not have any policies against affairs and/or dating, most companies have a policies against dating supervisor/subordinates for the very reason you are listing.

 

Get your facts together, go and speak to HR. Keep it unemotional, just state the facts and remain calm. HR will investigate and work with management on the best decisions. Depending on the company it could be anything from a write up and a transfer to a termination.

 

Don't get into playing investigator, don't try and pull others statements, if there are other witnesses make sure to give HR their names and then let them do what they need to do.

 

If you do not feel that the company takes action, if you feel you are ignored there are outside government agencies that you can go to. I would make sure to document all requests for an investigation so you have proof but ultimately you can take it to the EEOC and file a complaint.

 

Good luck.

[Emilia]

If its common knowledge a married supervisor is having a sexual relationship with a married underlying and showing favoritism, what is the best way to report it? How much "proof" do you need of the affair and the resulting special treatment?

 

Is the special treatment detrimental to your career? If not, I'd leave it alone

[mustangguy29]

Report it to HR anonymously.

Create a bogus gmail/hotmail account from a local library with a fake name and email HR in regards to it.

 

HR is supposed to keep these things anonymous, but they always get out at least to upper management, and while the person you are reporting my not be in a position to take action against you, they may have friends at the company that will resent what you did. Even if other managers are not their friends, they will be more careful around you, because they will not trust you.

[Got it]

Report it to HR anonymously.

Create a bogus gmail/hotmail account from a local library with a fake name and email HR in regards to it.

 

HR is supposed to keep these things anonymous, but they always get out at least to upper management, and while the person you are reporting my not be in a position to take action against you, they may have friends at the company that will resent what you did. Even if other managers are not their friends, they will be more careful around you, because they will not trust you.

 

This would be retaliation and not only is it against policy at most companies it is against the law. If there were a retaliation of any kind due to a filing complaint to HR the person would have legal recourse.

 

A bogus email does little for HR and usually you can figure out who is writing it if a proper investigation is done.

 

HR does keep things confidential, not anonymous and will tell you that they will do the best they can but yes higher ups if they need to know will need to know. The company needs the information to make the best decision.

 

But they will not tell peers, the person in question, etc. And regardless, any negative reaction would get the new individuals/company in hot water.

[Got it]

Is the special treatment detrimental to your career? If not, I'd leave it alone

 

It doesn't matter. In most handbooks it will state that it is each employee's responsibility to bring inappropriate actions or behavior to the company's attention. It is your duty as an employee to bring this forward regardless of whether or not this has a positive, negative, or neutral impact on you.

[Radu]

Emilia has a good point, and i'd like to add ... start looking for an alternative job.

 

While technically you might do the right thing for the company and the environment, the reality is that adults are little more taller children generally and your career will be hit by this.

[Lobouspo]

Is the special treatment detrimental to your career? If not, I'd leave it alone

 

Thanks for the responses folks......yeah this definitely my first inclination....Honestly, I could care less what people happen to be doing in their personal life if they are not harming me. The obvious favoritism is what pi$$es me off. I am worried about retaliation. There are all sorts of subtle ways employers can get back at you that is difficult to prove.

[NoMagicBullet]

This would be retaliation and not only is it against policy at most companies it is against the law. If there were a retaliation of any kind due to a filing complaint to HR the person would have legal recourse.

 

A bogus email does little for HR and usually you can figure out who is writing it if a proper investigation is done.

 

HR does keep things confidential, not anonymous and will tell you that they will do the best they can but yes higher ups if they need to know will need to know. The company needs the information to make the best decision.

 

But they will not tell peers, the person in question, etc. And regardless, any negative reaction would get the new individuals/company in hot water.

 

I agree that this is the way it's SUPPOSED to work, but the real world is far messier. People in HR are just as prone to favoritsm/cronyism/other-isms as any other employees. There's no way to know if someone in HR is already buddies with the supervisor in question and will be looking out for that person. HR's true function is to protect the company, and that usually means backing up the powers that be, not protecting the lower-level employees (that was what unions did). Retaliation is a real possibility. So in practical terms, I have to agree with the advice mustangguy and Radu have given.

Edited February 9, 2013 by NoMagicBullet
grammar

[Got it]

I agree that this is the way it's SUPPOSED to work, but the real world is far messier. People in HR are just as prone to favoritsm/cronyism/other-isms as any other employees. There's no way to know if someone in HR is already buddies with the supervisor in question and will be looking out for that person. HR's true function is to protect the company, and that usually means backing up the powers that be, not protecting the lower-level employees (that was what unions did). Retaliation is a real possibility. So in practical terms, I have to agree with the advice mustangguy and Radu have given.

 

Yes and you can go up the chain of command. It is amazing how little executives will protect lower level managers when they put the company at risk. And if that doesn't work there are outside government agencies that will protect, EEOC, DOL, for a few.

 

HR's function is to protect the company so doing that is making sure they don't get sued or sanctioned. That is more important for most HR individuals than backing up a manager and protecting them. They are an employee, just like the other employees.

[Sugarkane]

Do you even have HR? My boyfriend thinks HR is BS because in the past HR just served to be the yes man to the boss. There's a lot of favourtism at my work too, but there's no HR department at all.