Workplace Romance A No-No at Gates Foundation 70
theodp writes "The past week has brought NY Times coverage of the workplace romance of Gates Foundation co-chairs Bill and Melinda Gates, as well as Newsweek coverage of the workplace romance of Gates Foundation CEO Patty Stonesifer and her subordinate, Slate Editor-in-Chief Michael Kinsley. So the Foundation's Conflict of Interest Policy comes off as just a tad hypocritical: 'Additionally, certain types of relationships between co-workers may create impermissible conflicts of interest. For example, a romantic relationship in the workplace may raise perceptions of bias and favoritism.'"
I heard it through the grapevine... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I heard it through the grapevine... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I heard it through the grapevine... (Score:2)
You can also blame her for Clippy (which was sort of pioneered in Bob). =]
Re:I heard it through the grapevine... (Score:4, Insightful)
All those policies of 'no workplace romance' are b.s., the foundation of American small business is the mom-and-pop shop, not the mom-or-pop shop.
Re:I heard it through the grapevine... (Score:3, Funny)
Or in more liberal areas: the 'mom-and-mom' shop.
Re:I heard it through the grapevine... (Score:3, Insightful)
It's even in the f****n name! (Score:2)
Sort of (Score:1)
Definitely a Slow News Day (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Definitely a Slow News Day (Score:1)
This is stupid. (Score:1)
Even ones that are owned and managed by husband-and-wife couples.
What's wrong with office romances? (Score:4, Insightful)
What if office romances was not allowed here? Why shouldn't it be allowed, as long as they are not romancing in the office? I regularly see people coming to work holding hands, and people from different departmens eating together, and that's it. I don't see any problems here. (But if people here keep marrying each other (or hiring spouses), this could be a family business in a few generations...)
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:3, Insightful)
I think it has more to do with meeting in the teacher's lounge.
The fact is proximity provides opportunity for these relationships to flourish - regardless of what line of work you are in.
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:1)
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:1)
Oh, come now. Which is more likely: a friend crashing a car, or an office romance turning sour? The former might happen every 20 years, the latter every few months.
Also, I'd like to point out that I disagree with forbidding office romances. Let them try to handle it like adults. If they can't, fire 'em.
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:2)
Because some people (most probably) have a hard time leaving personal business at the door. What if you get in a fight the night before or that morning, now you have to work with one another all day and possibly resent one another all day, this could affect business in a major way. What if one of you is a manager? Then people will cry favoritism on your decisions involving S/O, plus what if you have to discipline him/her, that w
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:1)
They shouldn't be working side by side in any case. Not many relationships can survive being together 24/7. And even if it does, it's probably still not healthy.
But to the company, that's no different from two people that is just different in the wrong way. There's nothing special about to good employees that just doesn't work too well together. Just don't pair them, done.
Leaving personal business at the door can be
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:2)
So you're saying that it isn't healthy for a couple (married or not) to start a business together and grow it? Let's face it: when the business is small at first, they'll probably end up working in the same office or room for quite a while. And who better to trust as a business partner than someone who you mutually love?
Had more people taken
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:1)
I'm saying "not many relationships can survive it" and that "it's probably not healthy". From this you can deduct that some relationships can survive it, and there is a (low) probability that it is not unhealthy. Of course some will beat these odds. Most won't, but that's how business is.
Had more people taken your advise, probably half of all businesses started as mom-and-pop concerns wouldn't have
Re:What's wrong with office romances? (Score:2)
I think Americans are most apt to sue for small things, so having a policy against workplace romances in place protects the company from being a party to sexual harrassment lawsuits.
-b.
Yes, That is stupid. (Score:2)
Including Microsoft? You do know that Melinda was employee before she was a wife, don't you? Nothing new there, Bill has always put himself above such petty things as rules he expects others to obey.
Re:Yes, That is stupid. (Score:2)
That's why it's good to be the boss. You get to take long lunches, come in to work late, and date your employees.
Actually being the boss and dating an employee would be putting you at a lot of risk for a lawsuit if problems developed in the relationship. He asks her out, she says no, six months later she doesn't get a promotion that she thinks she deserves... is it retaliation for saying no, or just bec
Re:Yes, That is stupid. (Score:3, Interesting)
Okay. I'm not a fan of Bill Gates the-Microsoft-Chief-Architect, but COME ON! Bill most likely had nothing to do with writing this policy; this type of policy is so standard as to render it boilerplate for any business. I would not be surprised if those who seek to specialize in HR policy get a little handbook filled with legal boilerplate and a tutorial on "How to Thwart the Efforts of IT Applicants" upon graduation
Re:Yes, That is stupid. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Yes, That is stupid. (Score:1)
Re:This is stupid. (Score:2)
Not on whole earth at least. (Score:2)
Re:This is stupid. (Score:1)
How is this hypocritical? (Score:2, Insightful)
Isn't that just a factual statement? Relationships aren't forbidden, they're just telling you to exercise caution.
Besides, when an organization's mission is essentially to push money out the door, there is indeed more potential for conflict of interest. EVERY transaction is subject to scrutiny, because there can be legal consequences for favoritism. Less so with a corporation.
you are right, lets keep it corporate... (Score:1, Offtopic)
Sorry, I know, it was too easy 8p
RTFA Submitter (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:RTFA Submitter (Score:2)
That's funnier than hypocrisy. (Score:2)
For judgment and advice, presumably? "You may bone our property only with our (ours == owned by Bill Gates) permission." The M$ micromanagement knows no bounds! Bill's attitude always has been "What's our is ours and what's yours is ours," I suppose he means it.
If they were being hypocritical, it would at least show a knowledge of morals.
Re:RTFA Submitter (Score:2)
This habit of some companies thinking that they own every aspect of your life really annoys the hell out of me.
Yep. An issue (Score:5, Funny)
Still, its hyprocritical.
While talking about the foundation: Anyone else notice that Warren Buffet is so rich that he hired Bill Gates to spend his money?
Re:Yep. An issue (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Yep. An issue (Score:2)
While talking about the foundation: Anyone else notice that Warren Buffet is so rich that he hired Bill Gates to spend his money?
Yes, Jon Stewart of the 'Daily Show' noticed that last week, and made exactly the same comment on his show. I'm guessing you saw it too. :-)
Re:Yep. An issue (Score:2)
Re:Yep. An issue (Score:2)
Why yes, Stephen Colbert may have also noticed that.
You know, "Funny" mods don't actually get you karma, so there's really no reason to plagiarize actual funny people in an effort to get modded up.
Re:Yep. An issue (Score:2)
Ever think that maybe someone might think the same thing as someone else? And god forbid they happen to state it similarly. I can't quote someone I don't watch.
I guess neither you nor the other responder had considered that, eh?
As for Karma, I'm not whoring. I could really give a shiat as to what my score is.
Don't look for many comments on this topic... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Workplace Romance in IT? (Score:2)
I don't know about you, but I often enjoy talking to people who don't do the same things professionally that I do. It helps me keep perspective on things and makes sure I get out on occasion. If all of my friends (including girlfriends that I have had) were into all of the same things that I was, I'd be bored out of m
Re:Workplace Romance in IT? (Score:1)
Re:Workplace Romance in IT? (Score:2)
As for the rampant screams of "sexual harassment", some of them are deserved, yes, but a lot of those situations arise because people don't tell the person in question that something they are doing is making you uncomfortable. It really comes down to people taking responsibility for themselves and working thing
Re:Workplace Romance in IT? (Score:2)
News for nerds? Stuff that matters? (Score:1)
OSTG is now founded by Microsoft?
May I have my share?
Ivan.
FUD (Score:5, Insightful)
If you read the linked-to guide, it is primarily talking about situations in which an employee of the foundation has a relationship with someone who is a beneficiary, or potential beneficiary of the foundation.
Remember that a large part of the foundation's work is to give other organisations money. Obviously they need to ensure that conflicts of interest are known about and that people aren't using their influence to get money passed on to their loved ones. In their position, it would be madness not to have a policy like that, and I'm sure most similar organisations have something similar.
The document is mainly about relationships with people external to the company, but there is a small section about coworker romances. That section makes it quite clear that disclosure of office romances is only encouraged in situations where a conflict of interest could be a problem. The guideline is really very reasonable:
When deciding what kind of relationships should be disclosed, consider the situation from the perspective of an outsider and whether the relationship is of such a nature that it could raise an allegation of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, and then err on the side of transparency, as disclosure helps to alleviate or avoid future misunderstandings.
I assume then they would be talking about relationships where for instance the career advancement of one partner would be decided by the other partner in the relationship.
Nowhere in the document does it seek to discourage such workplace relationships.
The poster is just trying to whip up a bit of anti-Gates feeling out of thin air.
Nothing to see here, move along!
Company "Ink Well" (Score:2)
I once had wood for a nice woman at work. I told my father about this, and he gave me some advice. Son, never dip your dick in the company ink well.
It only took 3 seconds to realize he was right. It may seem obvious to most here, but hey I was young and needed a smack in the head like that... All the drama and other BS needs to stay OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE thanks.
Re:Company "Ink Well" (Score:2)
Bleh. Depends what the woman is like and how desperate you are to keep the job at all costs. If you ask me, good, interesting women are harder to come by than good jobs. And remember that you spend 1/3 or more of your waking life at work, so the development of workplace romances isn't really sufficient. You have the added benefit of being able to see the p
Personally (Score:4, Interesting)
But I don't have too much trouble finding women outside of work (at least for a semi-random hookup), so I'm not looking too hard. I really don't like the whole "dating" scene, which reminds me of a drawn-out pay-per-view drain on my money with little guarentee of anything besides being treated like a chump.
Re:Personally (Score:3, Funny)
Seeing this at my place (Score:2)
Well, we're going to have some very bad team dynamics here in a few days since I'm breaking up with her tonight since I found out she's been cheating on me. Thankfully not with anyone else in the office. But there's only 10 people in the company total, including the 3 interns of which she is one. So, yeah, it's going
Re:Seeing this at my place (Score:2)
Sucks? Better that she'd quit than if she'd stay and spread annoying office gossip about you...
-b.
What about Bill and Melinda? (Score:1)