Dear Seniors,
Is it okay to allow a couple to work in the same office/team? Would it affect the work environment? We have a policy that prevents a couple from working together in our organization. This policy has been formulated based on past experiences. If it is okay, then how do we manage or negate the likely negative impact? Please give your views.
Neel
From India, Mumbai
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Is it okay to allow a couple to work in the same office/team? Would it affect the work environment? We have a policy that prevents a couple from working together in our organization. This policy has been formulated based on past experiences. If it is okay, then how do we manage or negate the likely negative impact? Please give your views.
Neel
From India, Mumbai
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Dear Neel, I feel you have fallen for an office colleague and want to marry her. :P Regards, SC
From India, Thane
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47From India, Thane
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Hi,
Though some of the IT companies are coming up with the policy of having couples working in the same organization, they think that if both work together, they can devote more time to the organization. However, everything has its pluses and minuses.
Well, I don't agree with this. Sometimes, some personnel problems can be seen in the workplace, and this can affect the company and the team's performance. As an HR professional, do things that should not affect your company's growth and also not affect your employees.
Regards,
Saraswathi
From India, New Delhi
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Though some of the IT companies are coming up with the policy of having couples working in the same organization, they think that if both work together, they can devote more time to the organization. However, everything has its pluses and minuses.
Well, I don't agree with this. Sometimes, some personnel problems can be seen in the workplace, and this can affect the company and the team's performance. As an HR professional, do things that should not affect your company's growth and also not affect your employees.
Regards,
Saraswathi
From India, New Delhi
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This is entirely up to the organization concerned.
However, I have come across some instances where married couples have been asked to search for other positions - usually the one who is most valued by the organization is asked to stay, and the other asked to look for an alternate appointment.
This is for two reasons - first, if they are both in the same function/dept., when promotions occur, one may have to report to the other, and this could cause crisis situations; also, disputes may spill into the home front, making life pretty uncomfortable; second, even if they are in different functional areas, once again if one is on a more senior footing, the same discomforts arise. Also, sometimes colleagues resent the situation, feeling that the more senior individual is more lenient when the spouse is involved, particularly if they are both in the same function/dept..
There are times when one is asked to transfer to a sister concern in the same city, without affecting job function or seniority. This is a good strategy but very few organizations are in a position to follow this.
However, I have also come across a few cases where the couple is in the same organization but in different functions, and yet a very comfortable balance has been achieved.
In such cases, the organization steps in where reimbursements such as leave travel and medical reimbursements are concerned; for instance, if leave travel covers children and dependent parents as well, then the more senior spouse, say, the husband, covers himself and the children and his own dependent parents, and the wife covers herself and her own dependent parents. This prevents reimbursement covers from being doubled.
Where both are entitled to company housing and company cars, then only one house is provided, and one car, unless hours of work and usage on company work necessitate separate cars.
However, all the above are on an organization to organization basis, and on a case to case basis, and the couple cannot make excess claims.
I hope this has thrown some light on such cases. I'd like to hear from others also.
Jeroo
From India, Mumbai
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However, I have come across some instances where married couples have been asked to search for other positions - usually the one who is most valued by the organization is asked to stay, and the other asked to look for an alternate appointment.
This is for two reasons - first, if they are both in the same function/dept., when promotions occur, one may have to report to the other, and this could cause crisis situations; also, disputes may spill into the home front, making life pretty uncomfortable; second, even if they are in different functional areas, once again if one is on a more senior footing, the same discomforts arise. Also, sometimes colleagues resent the situation, feeling that the more senior individual is more lenient when the spouse is involved, particularly if they are both in the same function/dept..
There are times when one is asked to transfer to a sister concern in the same city, without affecting job function or seniority. This is a good strategy but very few organizations are in a position to follow this.
However, I have also come across a few cases where the couple is in the same organization but in different functions, and yet a very comfortable balance has been achieved.
In such cases, the organization steps in where reimbursements such as leave travel and medical reimbursements are concerned; for instance, if leave travel covers children and dependent parents as well, then the more senior spouse, say, the husband, covers himself and the children and his own dependent parents, and the wife covers herself and her own dependent parents. This prevents reimbursement covers from being doubled.
Where both are entitled to company housing and company cars, then only one house is provided, and one car, unless hours of work and usage on company work necessitate separate cars.
However, all the above are on an organization to organization basis, and on a case to case basis, and the couple cannot make excess claims.
I hope this has thrown some light on such cases. I'd like to hear from others also.
Jeroo
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Neel,
Couples working in an organization together can avail a lot of benefits from both perspectives. This can have a few shortcomings; however, as an HR professional, there are always various means to address those.
If I were in your position, I would allow them to work on different projects and would prefer to see them in different verticals according to their experience and skills.
Regards,
Abhi
From India
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Couples working in an organization together can avail a lot of benefits from both perspectives. This can have a few shortcomings; however, as an HR professional, there are always various means to address those.
If I were in your position, I would allow them to work on different projects and would prefer to see them in different verticals according to their experience and skills.
Regards,
Abhi
From India
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Hi,
I agree with Jeroo. There are a lot of benefits rather than shortcomings if a husband and wife work in the same company. MAHE - Manipal Academy of Higher Education and all its allied organizations encourage couples working together as it cuts costs in terms of resources. Quarters, TA, and the rest are savings for the company. Of course, care should be taken to manage promotions, leave, and other entitlements. Personally, I feel it is a great idea; it can cut costs for the couples too.
Regards,
DK
From India, Mangaluru
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I agree with Jeroo. There are a lot of benefits rather than shortcomings if a husband and wife work in the same company. MAHE - Manipal Academy of Higher Education and all its allied organizations encourage couples working together as it cuts costs in terms of resources. Quarters, TA, and the rest are savings for the company. Of course, care should be taken to manage promotions, leave, and other entitlements. Personally, I feel it is a great idea; it can cut costs for the couples too.
Regards,
DK
From India, Mangaluru
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I have seen couples working in the same organization without any clashes and discomfort. They work accordingly without interfering in each other's work, and that respect the decisions from either side. It depends on the organization, but more than that, it depends on the maturity level of the couples and how they balance their personal and professional life.
Bhavna
From India, Vadodara
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Bhavna
From India, Vadodara
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