So the consequences of not being open about the relationship have a distinct downside, too. She denied the rumors, but they refused to stop and she ended up leaving the company. Eventually, the couple married but continued to deny that they had been romantically involved at the company. The lawyer, of course, always will prefer to see a company operate without any office romances, simply because they always bring with them some risk of an eventual lawsuit. Before we leave the subject of office romances, it is worthwhile to note that the issue sometimes comes up regarding married partners.
Some companies prohibit married people from working together.
In one case, a teacher wanted to transfer to a school where her husband was the principal. Although school district rules forbade it, the court allowed the transfer. However, not all court decisions have agreed with that line of thinking. Gay rights is one of these issues. A 1998 case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States gives a very good idea of what the Supreme Court's thinking is these days.