Taking Stock: Accountants in 'sex ban' shock
Love in the office labeled 'abhorrent' as research reveals most accountants want to ban office relationships
NO SEX, PLEASE – we’re accountants.
New research by global job board CareersinAudit.com has found that seven in ten accountants believe there should be a ban on office relationships, particularly if the parties work closely or are reporting directly to each other.
The research, conducted among 1,705 accounting professionals during July-September 2015, crushes Taking Stock’s previously held belief that accounting firms were in fact hotbeds of seething sexual tension.
The majority of respondents claimed they would blow their whistle if they knew about an inter-office relationship taking place, while one accountant went so far as to label the practice as “abhorrent”.
Nearly half felt bosses would be exploiting their power if they have an intimate relationship with a junior member of staff, while nearly two-thirds think it’s unacceptable for a client-facing staff member to have intimate relationships with a client – while the remainder think it’s fine if it is a private client and as long as it is not someone directly in the client team.
Simon Wright, operations director of CareersinAudit.com, said: “Imposing a love ban in the workplace could be regarded by employees as too draconian and an infringement on their rights.
“If not already in place, perhaps bosses should consider establishing a workplace relationship policy which identifies the roles which would need disclosure on relationships – a duty to disclose if there was a conflict of interest or a threat to the business.”