Of Romance & Corporate Law/Policy

[Pix]

I know someone who is getting romantically involved with someone at her company. They work in different divisions, but the guy she's getting involved with is in an executive (she's not) in a division that holds some power over the employees in all the other divisions, and can technically affect her and her co-workers. He's in personnel who report and make recommendations regarding all the employees in all divisions at the company (from doing background checks on new employees to assessing the performance and suitability of current employees), at least in that building, and so he could facilitate a change (or even firing) in her position and her pay as well as that of her friends and enemies through his reviews of them--though he doesn't work alone so it's no guarantee that he'd succeed if he tried and he could be caught at it if someone were to accuse him of abuse of his position. This makes me think that ethical concerns would apply regarding such a relationship. However, he is not her boss and doesn't even work in her division (but does have at least some power over those in her division).

Can either of them get in trouble for this? She was asking me about it and I have no idea so I thought I'd ask here. (Of course I did tell her that her guy, working where he does, should be the perfect person to ask...)

I'm sorry if I'm not clear, I'm just sharing this as best I understand it (without revealing the specifics which would be a betrayal of her confidence). Corporate hierarchies and policies isn't something I'm all that familiar with (at least beyond Dilbert anyway :tongue.

Thanks!