By now, you’ve likely heard about David Letterman’s workplace trysts, the resulting blackmail, and his public embarrassment. In homage to Mr. Letterman’s place in the workplace shame hall of fame, I present the top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t date a workplace subordinate (drum roll please):
10. Love contracts.
9. Extortion and blackmail attempts.
8. Those uncomfortable conversations with HR and company attorneys explaining your love life.
7. Describing your private affairs in a deposition or, worse, to a jury.
6. Being the focus of office gossip.
5. Conflicts of interest.
4. The loss of respect from your co-workers and other subordinates.
3. Facing termination for not disclosing your romance.
2. Those pesky harassment and retaliation lawsuits when someone other than your paramour gets passed over for a promotion, fired, or otherwise thinks you are playing favorites.
1. Those pesky harassment or retaliation lawsuits by your ex when the relationship goes south.
Presented by Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, with offices in Cleveland and Columbus. For more information, contact Jon Hyman, a partner in our Labor & Employment group, at (216) 736-7226 or jth@kjk.com.