You've Got to Be Kidding!: How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Integrity

A Word on Adulterous Workplace Romances

Unfortunately, employees do, on occasion, witness workplace affairs in which one or both of the individuals are married. I have three simple rules for such situations:

1. Stay out of it! It’s their affair, not yours.

2. Try hard not to be judgmental. Easy to say, but difficult to do. But, remember—none of us live in other people’s lives.

3. Take a stand only if they try to involve you. In other words, if asked, tell them you will not lie or cover up for them, nor do you wish to hear about the affair.

Adulterous affairs in the workplace can be damaging because they present a threat to organizational effectiveness by workplace behavior that is “job affecting” to other employees. Often, just the disruptive gossip surrounding such affairs lands under the “job-affecting” slot. Extremes of any such behavior can morph into the “hostile environment” and leave the company vulnerable to a potential harassment lawsuit leveled by other employees.