Dealing With Personal Relationships In The Workplace

It has recently been reported in the press that John Neal, the CEO of the Australian headquartered insurance and reinsurance company QBE, had his annual bonus cut by twenty per cent (which equated to AU$550,000 or £340,000) for failing to disclose a personal relationship with his executive assistant. The decision to cut his bonus was taken despite what QBE described as a "commendable year [during which he] delivered a strong full year result".  It has been reported that Mr Neal's executive assistant was also executive assistant to the board.  QBE requires executives to disclose workplace relationships under its executive code of conduct.

Workplace relationships are common. Employees necessarily spend significant time together, and in many cases will have common interests.  Some employers view these relationships as a positive.  For example, one of the UK's largest independent travel agencies is known to have produced well in excess of 100 marriages.  However,