I have been best friends with my boss for years and she then became the boss of our company which is under an umbrella of a bigger company. We and our families have been very close for many years and she has been my boss for 4 years. Recently she was told she is no longer allowed to socialize with employees and we are both devastated by this news as are our families.my question is whether this is ethical and legal. We have never stepped over the line and she shows me no favoritism in the workplace. We have always kept our relationship secret from the outside world. Is the holding company boss allowed to enforce this rule?

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Originally Posted by DCCC

Is the holding company boss allowed to enforce this rule?

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Hello D:

I don't know what you mean "allowed"... Can he prosecuted if he enforces it?? No... Can you be fired if he enforces it? Yes..

excon

Is it or is it not legal for a company to say who you can have relationships with outside of work?

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Originally Posted by kmskitty

is it or is it not legal for a company to say who you can have relationships with outside of work?

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Let me put it to you this way:

If you ran a business, would you want your foreman to be best friends with your biggest competitor? And your secretary to be married to him? I think not. And if they were, you would be justified in letting them go.

So: yes. A company can say that.

It is a very accepted practice, and while that may not be the reason they fire them ( or most likely fire you) they normally keep the boss and get rid of the other person, so you are the one more likely to be fired if someone is fired.

But in big companies, they can "strongly suggest" where or what areas of a town a boss should live in. If the boss is married, what clubs their spouse should belong to. They can strongly suggest what clubs the boss should belong to, If the boss is doing any outside activities that does not fit image of the company, they can be fired for activities going on outside of work.

So yes, I would say if you try to fight it, you would soon be history,

Becoming a boss normally means you have to break friendships with some others, because they work with you, or because they are not the type of people the company thinks you should be friends with.