Valentine’s Day is a holiday that can bring a lot of joy, warmth, and happiness to your coworkers. But it can also bring pain, heartache, and jealousy for those who aren’t in happy romantic relationships for one reason or another. 

Here are a few tips to help you keep your office in line and avoid some downsides resulting from Valentine’s Day. 

Avoid Having a Big Party or Celebration

You probably celebrated Valentine’s Day at school when you were a kid. Elementary schoolers will decorate a shoebox or cereal box and bring it in to collect their valentines. They also have to bring in a card for every kid in the class. The teacher also brings in things for the kids to enjoy, and they might make some craft projects to celebrate the holiday. 

But the workplace is a different world. There are bigger, stronger emotions that get brought up on Valentine’s Day. You don’t know what everyone is dealing with, and having a party for a holiday focused around romantic relationships is sure to “stir the pot” in a way you can’t expect or understand. So it’s best to avoid making a big deal out of it around the office. 

If You Bring in Sweets, Have Enough for Everyone

This is getting back to the days of elementary school. There’s something to be said to including everyone. If you only bring in sweet treats for a few people around the office, others will feel left out.

That doesn’t mean you need to bring hundreds or even thousands of things if you work in a big office. But consider putting a bowl or box in a common area with the treats you brought. 

Avoid Cards and Flowers

Sweet treats like candy, donuts, or cookies are okay on Valentine’s Day in the office. They’re things that are often brought into offices already as a way for professionals to show a bit of humanity and care to their coworkers. 

But skip the flowers and Valentine’s Day cards! They tend to be too romantic in nature. 

Make Sure Your Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy is in Place

Workplace sexual harassment is a serious offense. But, unfortunately, it’s pretty common and often goes unreported. 

Something to keep in mind is that sexual harassment does not have to involve physical contact. Unwelcome advances and verbal or visual cues also fall in the realm of sexual harassment. Likewise, if something makes the office environment offensive or hostile in a person’s mind, they’re now a victim of sexual harassment. 

Considering the nature of Valentine’s Day, it’s best to ensure your policy is in place!

Consider a Company Dating Policy

Office romances happen. We spend the majority of our waking hours at work, so it makes sense that sometimes two people will meet, and they’ll develop feelings for each other. 

Some companies are perfectly okay with it. Very small companies are often family-owned and have a few family members, including spouses, working there. Medium and large companies sometimes have it happen too. 

It would be best to decide what’s suitable for your company as a manager and leader. But if your company is large enough, we recommend considering a dating policy that outlines some general guidelines. For example, you might make a rule that it’s okay for people to date as long as they don’t work in the same department. Or you might make a rule that people dating should not have a supervisor/subordinate relationship at work. 

Conclusion

Valentine’s Day at the workplace can be fun, but we recommend taking these steps to help everything go smoothly. So enjoy the holiday, eat some candy, and reach out to us if you have any questions on these topics or anything else around business law! 

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