Romantic, sexual, and other relationships in the workplace – do they need to be addressed, and what are the risks associated with them?

Are there romantic relationships between employees at your workplace? Have there ever been any sexual activities between your employees? Do your employees ever make sexual remarks to their colleagues that may not be pleasant for everyone? The answer to all these questions is probably yes.
But did you know that these employee relationships can cause problems for you as an employer?
Did you know that even a relationship that is initially consensual can constitute sexual harassment and cause harm to an employee, who can then seek redress from you as their employer? Did you know that harm can be caused to an employee “simply” by a colleague being “intrusive” and constantly sending them unsolicited text messages? Do you know how to distinguish whether a relationship is purely non-work-related/private (and therefore “none of your business”) or whether it is work-related and therefore your responsibility? Did you know that rape can also be considered a workplace accident? Did you know that you can be held responsible for the sexual activities of your employees, even if they occur during a business trip? Do you know what steps to take after discovering that something inappropriate has happened between employees—how to investigate such behavior?
If you don’t know how to answer these questions, our lecture is for you. We will answer all of the above questions and much more, and we will show you specific examples from practice based on case law.