Given the amount of time the average person spends at work, it is inevitable that relationships will form between colleagues. Whilst on the face of it there seems nothing wrong with this, in reality it can turn the whole office upside down if and when that relationship flounders. Furthermore it is likely that the working relationship between those people involved will become strained if not impossible.

This was what happened in a recent case heard in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, who overturned the Employment Tribunal’s decision that a personal assistant (A) had been subjected to sex discrimination when the solicitor (B) with whom she had had an intimate relationship dismissed her.

A had been employed as a secretary/receptionist in the small solicitor’s firm where B worked as a solicitor. Very quickly she was promoted to B’s personal assistant and some time later had begun a relationship with him. However after B saw A with another man he dismissed her the very same day without following any of the statutory procedures.

A won her claims for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination in the tribunal, who found that the reason for her dismissal was that B was “driven by jealousy in the discovery of relationship with ”.

However on appeal, the EAT overturned the finding of sex discrimination stating that the tribunal should have asked whether the treatment of A was based on the grounds of sex or for some other reason. They held that in this case it was because of the breakdown of the relationship. However the unfair dismissal obviously stood.

The moral of this tale? Be aware that office romances could end in disaster for more than the two people involved, particularly if they involve a manager or someone in a position of authority. Whilst most employers would not feel the need to go so far as to ban office romances, your colleagues and employees should be aware that they should act responsibly and fairly whilst the affair is continuing and particularly if it ends. At the very least an employee should not be dismissed for ending an affair with their boss!