Some companies offer co-worker one ask to those want to date.

Article by James Wellemeyer, Freelance Journalist

Company rules on dating save employees’ blushes and the company money, says Paula Brantner, who runs PB Work Solutions, a law firm focused on preventing sexual harassment. “When there’s someone who cannot take no for an answer, that can turn into harassment at work,” she said.

There’s another reason why companies want to stamp out rampant dating among employees: Sexual-harassment suits are expensive. Settlements, lost productivity, and turnover from these cases cost about $6 million annually per Fortune 500 company, a 2005 study found.

The #MeToo movement has changed workplace dating. Andrew Challenger, vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an outplacement and executive coaching service that has studied sexual harassment at work, said companies like Airbnb are outliers. Most firms “tend to be laissez-faire” on the issue of workplace romance, meaning they don’t have specific policies that prevent it or restrict it. But the #MeToo movement has led many companies to take a second look at their rules.

A study released by Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that 51% of U.S. companies have reviewed their sexual harassment policies following the movement, and 72% of those companies have gone on to update their policies. The study surveyed 150 human resources executives at U.S. companies across multiple industries.

During the height of the #MeToo movement, a number of companies discussed blanket bans on workplace dating. But that proved to be a step too far, Challenger said.“You spend more time with these people than your family,” Challenger said. “It’s okay to fall in love in the workplace.”

Brantner thinks bans are impractical and can actually exacerbate the problems that dating at work can present. “If there’s a ban, people don’t follow the rule,” she said. “They just hide it, and then it becomes a problem.” She says the best advice she can give on workplace dating is to “take things very slowly” and “if things do become more serious, tell the company and others at work.”