Should you celebrate Valentine’s Day at work?

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Whether you’re coupled up or not, Valentine’s Day is an occasion for showing appreciation for the people who mean a lot to you. That may be a partner, a friend or maybe even a colleague.

But in work, an employee’s idea of a “gesture of appreciation” for their colleague could lead into dangerous territory if it leaves someone feeling uncomfortable.

So on a day that’s meant to be all about celebrating love and romance, how can you prevent the risk of employees blurring professional boundaries? Or perhaps overstepping the mark? And how can you stop employees from behaving in ways that are deemed inappropriate – or even harassment –in the workplace?

Well, here are some important dos and don’ts for HR when it comes to keeping those healthy boundaries in check…

Do: consider the implications of Valentine’s Day cards or gifts in work

Depending on the circumstances of how an employee gives someone a Valentine’s card or gift, it may be classed as sexual harassment.

Whether the card or gift is from boss to employee or colleague to colleague, it’s important to consider the implications of how it might be perceived.

Because even if someone’s card or gift is intended to be funny or a pure sign of goodwill, it’s still tricky territory to enter. It’s easy for someone’s words or gestures to be taken badly. And if someone does interpret a gesture in a negative way, this could lead to big problems.

Which takes us to the next point…

Don’t: forget to uphold those clear standards of behaviour

It’s always good to clearly remind employees of what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour in the workplace. And under a new legal duty, you actually have to.

Just because it’s Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t mean usual expectations of behaviour go out the window. So employees shouldn’t use this day as an excuse to behave inappropriately.

In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, this may be a good time to clearly outline your company’s standards of behaviour and refer to your sexual harassment policy.

By law, as an employer, you have to take proactive measures to prevent sexual harassment from happening in your workplace.

This includes harassment from colleagues and third-parties.

One way you can show you’re taking proactive steps to prevent harassment is by clearly communicating your zero-tolerance for it and having legally robust documentation. Your HR documents should clearly outline what sexual harassment is to staff and how they can report instances they witness or experience.

Do: be quick to act on complaints

You should always take any complaints about harassment or unwanted Valentine’s gestures seriously.

Making sure your employees understand what counts as harassment can help reduce the risk of complaints happening in the first place.

But if you do find yourself dealing with a complaint, then you should take care to follow your company’s disciplinary process – and act swiftly. You should carry out a formal investigation into any incidents where employees appear to bypass your rules or behave inappropriately.

Don’t: feel like you have to throw incentives out altogether

If you want to mark Valentine’s Day in your workplace, you can still do this in a way that removes the romantic element and places focus elsewhere.

You may want to use Valentine’s Day as a way of showing appreciation for your staff.

So you can absolutely set up events that do that in a positive way, without running into risk. Perhaps a Valentines themed bake sale, for example.

Do: set clear expectations around workplace relationships

We’ve already talked about the need for a robust sexual harassment policy. But it’s also a good idea to set your stance on workplace romances too.

When studies have found a quarter of all Brits are in relationships with someone they met at work, it makes it all the more important to know how to handle them and stop them from causing trouble.

To make sure you set clear boundaries and reduce risk to your business, learn how to manage workplace relationships in line with HR best practice in your expert guide below: