My first job out of college did little to prepare me for my future career, but it did teach me something about power — and that all companies should adopt a black-and-white policy when it comes to sexual contact between supervisors and their employees.
Working as a Prison Guard Convinced Me That Bosses Should Never, Ever Date Subordinates
In prison, the line between guard and inmate is clear — and any sexual or romantic contact is forbidden. In most other workplaces, though, the lines aren’t that clear, and it’s easy for managers to tell themselves they don’t really have that much power over their employees — and convince themselves it might be OK to try to date an employee who seems interested in them. But it is difficult to establish consent between an employee and her boss — or anyone who is above her in the hierarchy. The argument that adults can make their own decisions does not hold water when one considers the importance of a paycheck and that many who report harassment face retaliation from their employers. If your company doesn’t already have a total ban on manager-employee romantic contact, you should implement one.