This case study illustrates how a romantic relationship at work can lead to an uncomfortable and unfortunate outcome. From the start, even before Brad and Elizabeth break up, Elizabeth’s colleagues are treating her differently and making comments about her private romantic life. She hopes that Brad is facing the same judgment, but one might reasonably suspect that this is not the case. I think Elizabeth’s boss is clearly at fault here for assuming that Elizabeth is intentionally bringing up her relationship in the workplace. Instead of asking her to “keep it out of the office,” her boss should’ve had a conversation with her regarding how best to deal with her colleague’s behavior and respond to their inappropriate treatment. Again, he assumes the worst of Elizabeth when he says she should get past the “personal situation” with Claudia and be a mentor for her. His words imply that Elizabeth needs to move on from a situation that she has overreacted to. Interestingly, he expresses this to her while acknowledging her professional talents and abilities, entirely separating his respect for her work life and her personal life.
I agree with Karen Firestone’s response to this scenario. I too think that Elizabeth’s current workplace is not a supportive one and if she finds a truly desirable offer from another employer, she should take it. Regardless of if the quality of her work diminishes due to the series of events with Brad and Claudia, her reputation has already been damaged and the treatment she faces from her boss and colleagues will prevent her from growing.
