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View full libraryThis Personal Relationships at Work Policy provides clear expectations for managing personal, family and romantic relationships between employees where those relationships may affect workplace conduct, professional boundaries or business decisions. It helps employers manage conflicts of interest fairly while respecting employees' privacy.
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1 Overview
1.1 The organisation recognises that personal relationships can develop between people who work together. Employees have a right to a private life and the organisation does not generally seek to regulate consensual relationships between colleagues.
1.2 However, personal relationships can sometimes create workplace issues, particularly where there is a reporting relationship, a difference in authority, a conflict of interest or the potential for actual or perceived favouritism.
1.3 This policy sets out the standards expected where personal, family or romantic relationships may affect the workplace. The organisation will seek to manage such situations fairly, sensitively and proportionately, while respecting employees' privacy.
2 Scope
2.1 This policy applies to all employees and workers and covers personal relationships between people connected with the organisation where the relationship may have an impact on work.
2.2 This includes, but is not limited to:
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Personal relationships can develop naturally between people who work together, and employers should avoid unnecessarily interfering in employees' private lives. However, relationships can create workplace issues where one person has authority or influence over another, where confidential information is involved or where the relationship affects decisions about work. This policy provides a practical framework for identifying and managing those situations.
The existence of a personal relationship between employees does not, by itself, constitute a problem or require disciplinary action. The policy focuses on workplace impact rather than attempting to regulate employees' private lives. Employees are expected to maintain appropriate professional standards while at work and during work-related activities.
Particular care is needed where a personal or romantic relationship exists between a manager and someone they directly or indirectly supervise. The potential for actual or perceived favouritism, conflicts of interest, complaints about unfair treatment and difficulties following a relationship breakdown can create risks for both individuals and the organisation.
Employees should disclose relationships where there is a genuine or potential conflict of interest, particularly where one person has responsibility for recruitment, pay, promotion, performance management, disciplinary action, work allocation or other decisions affecting the other person. The organisation can then consider proportionate arrangements to remove or reduce the conflict.
Employees remain responsible for maintaining professional standards regardless of their personal relationships. Displays of affection, disagreements, inappropriate communications or relationship-related behaviour should not disrupt work, affect colleagues or create an uncomfortable, intimidating or hostile working environment.
A relationship ending does not automatically create a workplace issue. However, if a breakdown results in conflict, unwanted conduct, harassment, bullying, victimisation, disruption or concerns about fairness, the organisation may need to intervene. Concerns can be addressed informally where appropriate or through the relevant grievance, disciplinary or other formal process where necessary.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Personal relationships at work policy should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
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No. A consensual personal or romantic relationship between employees is not, by itself, prohibited. The policy focuses on situations where a relationship creates a workplace conflict, affects professional conduct or creates a risk of unfair treatment, harassment or misuse of authority.
Not necessarily. Employees should normally be expected to disclose a relationship where there is an actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest, particularly where one person manages, supervises or makes employment-related decisions affecting the other.
The organisation should consider the potential conflict of interest and whether changes are needed to remove or reduce the risk. This could include changing reporting arrangements or ensuring that another manager makes decisions about pay, performance, promotion, leave or disciplinary matters.
The existence of a consensual relationship would not normally, by itself, justify disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may be appropriate where an employee breaches workplace rules, misuses authority, creates a serious conflict of interest, engages in harassment or behaves inappropriately at work.
The organisation should focus on workplace behaviour rather than the private relationship itself. Where the breakdown results in bullying, harassment, conflict, disruption or concerns about unfair treatment, the matter should be addressed using appropriate informal or formal procedures.
HRDocBox policies are designed specifically for UK employers and combine practical HR experience with employment law, Acas guidance and established HR practice. They provide a structured starting point that can be adapted to an organisation's circumstances rather than relying on a generic AI-generated policy.
The document gave us a sensible basis for checking our existing arrangements. It helped us tighten up a process that had previously been a little too dependent on individual judgement. The wording was practical enough to work alongside the processes we already have.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Personal relationships at work policy template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing conduct HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
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