Top 10 reasons not to date at work

By now, you’ve likely heard about David Letterman’s workplace trysts, the resulting blackmail, and his public embarrassment. In homage to Mr. Letterman’s place in the workplace shame hall of fame, I present the top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t date a workplace subordinate (drum roll please):

10. Love contracts.

9. Extortion and blackmail attempts.

8. Those uncomfortable conversations with HR and company attorneys explaining your love life.

7. Describing your private affairs in a deposition or, worse, to a jury.

6. Being the focus of office gossip.

5. Conflicts of interest.

4. The loss of respect from your co-workers and other subordinates.

3. Facing termination for not disclosing your romance.

2. Those pesky harassment and retaliation lawsuits when someone other than your paramour gets passed over for a promotion, fired, or otherwise thinks you are playing favorites.

1. Those pesky harassment or retaliation lawsuits by your ex when the relationship goes south.

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Presented by Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, with offices in Cleveland and Columbus. For more information, contact Jon Hyman, a partner in our Labor & Employment group, at (216) 736-7226 or jth@kjk.com.