Regulated relations

A few months ago, we entered the Twilight Zone courtesy of City firm Howard Kennedy.

The firm released a survey on office relationships and advised companies to have a policy in place to deal with them.

So we asked whether Howard Kennedy itself had such a policy but were told that as the firm's own head of HR had responded to the survey, and the survey was confidential, they couldn't tell us (see [2003] Gazette, 13 February, 12).

So it was with some hesitation that we asked the same question of fellow City firm Fox Williams, after it produced a survey which revealed that 20% of the 1,280 employers and advisers it contacted have a policy on intimate relationships between members of staff.

Fortunately, there was no coyness here.

The firm doesn't have a policy, says solicitor Carl Richards, adding that 'relationships between employees are in no way discouraged' - which is only a short hop in a tabloid mind to active encouragement, so Fox Williams best be careful.

Should any issues arise out of such relationships, Mr Richards says, they would be dealt with on an individual basis according to the facts.

There, Howard Kennedy - that wasn't so hard, was it?