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Workplace Romance A No-No at Gates Foundation
theodp writes "The past week has brought NY Times coverage of the workplace romance of Gates Foundation co-chairs Bill and Melinda Gates, as well as Newsweek coverage of the workplace romance of Gates Foundation CEO Patty Stonesifer and her subordinate, Slate Editor-in-Chief Michael Kinsley. So the Foundation's Conflict of Interest Policy comes off as just a tad hypocritical: 'Additionally, certain types of relationships between co-workers may create impermissible conflicts of interest. For example, a romantic relationship in the workplace may raise perceptions of bias and favoritism.'"
how did Bill and Melinda meet?
Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
Or are Bill and Melinda Gates just good friends?
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While I was furiously searching for something insightful to write, I determined that this story is essentially devoid of value. I don't even know if there is an opportunity to trash Gates here. I know this is effectively a four day holiday for many people, but certainly there must be other stories with a modicum of news value worth posting.
Part of the hardcore faithful who believed in Apple long before it was cool again to do so
Every workplace on earth (or at least in the US) has a policy in the employee rules warning against office romances.
Even ones that are owned and managed by husband-and-wife couples.
The libertarian solution to the failures of capitalism is to apply more capitalism til the failures are fixed.
Isn't that just a factual statement? Relationships aren't forbidden, they're just telling you to exercise caution.
Besides, when an organization's mission is essentially to push money out the door, there is indeed more potential for conflict of interest. EVERY transaction is subject to scrutiny, because there can be legal consequences for favoritism. Less so with a corporation.
It doesn't say they're forbidden, it says they should be disclosed to HR. It's a fairly common practice.
Unless one of them didn't report directly to the other. Of course, then neither of them would be a subordinate.
Still, its hyprocritical.
While talking about the foundation: Anyone else notice that Warren Buffet is so rich that he hired Bill Gates to spend his money?
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
In the company I work in (danish company) more than 10% of the employees are married to each other. And we are hundres of employees, so I think there's enough statistical data to toy with.
What if office romances was not allowed here? Why shouldn't it be allowed, as long as they are not romancing in the office? I regularly see people coming to work holding hands, and people from different departmens eating together, and that's it. I don't see any problems here. (But if people here keep marrying each other (or hiring spouses), this could be a family business in a few generations...)
The Gates Foundation is a private foundation. They can whatever policies they want. Why would slashdot care? There's no political relevance here. What are the editors smoking?
Each other.
For judgment and advice, presumably? "You may bone our property only with our (ours == owned by Bill Gates) permission." The M$ micromanagement knows no bounds! Bill's attitude always has been "What's our is ours and what's yours is ours," I suppose he means it.
If they were being hypocritical, it would at least show a knowledge of morals.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Don't look for many comments on this topic...methinks the average Slashdotter has enough trouble with "romance", let alone the more specific "workplace romance".
Including Microsoft? You do know that Melinda was employee before she was a wife, don't you? Nothing new there, Bill has always put himself above such petty things as rules he expects others to obey.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
May I know why every hiccup from Redmond gets noticed here?
OSTG is now founded by Microsoft?
May I have my share?
Ivan.
Well, not exactly FUD, but certainly wilfully misinterpretation.
If you read the linked-to guide, it is primarily talking about situations in which an employee of the foundation has a relationship with someone who is a beneficiary, or potential beneficiary of the foundation.
Remember that a large part of the foundation's work is to give other organisations money. Obviously they need to ensure that conflicts of interest are known about and that people aren't using their influence to get money passed on to their loved ones. In their position, it would be madness not to have a policy like that, and I'm sure most similar organisations have something similar.
The document is mainly about relationships with people external to the company, but there is a small section about coworker romances. That section makes it quite clear that disclosure of office romances is only encouraged in situations where a conflict of interest could be a problem. The guideline is really very reasonable:
When deciding what kind of relationships should be disclosed, consider the situation from the perspective of an outsider and whether the relationship is of such a nature that it could raise an allegation of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, and then err on the side of transparency, as disclosure helps to alleviate or avoid future misunderstandings.
I assume then they would be talking about relationships where for instance the career advancement of one partner would be decided by the other partner in the relationship.
Nowhere in the document does it seek to discourage such workplace relationships.
The poster is just trying to whip up a bit of anti-Gates feeling out of thin air.
Nothing to see here, move along!
Now lets see about the takeover bid for Maria's As*
Sorry, I know, it was too easy 8p
It takes 40+ muscles to frown, but only four to extend your arm and bitchslap the motherfucker
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*Submitted but never posted. Now aren't you glad you're not paying for this site?
This is good policy. Yes the article said all that had to be done was report to HR, however I think it should be policy to avoid it period.
I once had wood for a nice woman at work. I told my father about this, and he gave me some advice. Son, never dip your dick in the company ink well.
It only took 3 seconds to realize he was right. It may seem obvious to most here, but hey I was young and needed a smack in the head like that... All the drama and other BS needs to stay OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE thanks.
-- Note: If you don't agree with me, don't bother replying. I won't read it.
I shun from workplace relationships. Mainly because I don't want the people I work with to know a damn thing about my personal life...because I work in the Bible Belt at a large comapny. I am afraid of some girl telling her co-workers how I drink alot, enjoy "dark" music, how most of my books on my shelf are about the occult, and my other habits...I sorta have to lead a double life because I'm afraid of the backlash.
But I don't have too much trouble finding women outside of work (at least for a semi-random hookup), so I'm not looking too hard. I really don't like the whole "dating" scene, which reminds me of a drawn-out pay-per-view drain on my money with little guarentee of anything besides being treated like a chump.
Maybe we DID take the blue pill. You wouldn't remember anyway.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
My last girlfriend was a co-worker. It turned out fine, but we were both happy to keep things professional at work. A less well-balanced person could have really sunk me. I was pretty nervous for a while.
It would have been real hot gossip at the time, as I was separated and still legally married, thanks to my ex dragging her feet.
I was envisioning two Woody Allen-like scenarios. One where my ex came in and started yelling, "Can you people believe that he's f!@#ing the P.R. girl? You a@#hole!", or another where my new girlfriend came in and yelled, "He's been f!@#ing me for months, and he's still married to someone else!". Still gives me a shiver.
I don't know that I'll take that chance again anytime soon.
I'm working at a startup and I got my girlfriend an internship. Well, I mentioned to my boss that she was a good programmer and wanted a job near campus for the summer. So, interview, hire, etc.
Well, we're going to have some very bad team dynamics here in a few days since I'm breaking up with her tonight since I found out she's been cheating on me. Thankfully not with anyone else in the office. But there's only 10 people in the company total, including the 3 interns of which she is one. So, yeah, it's going to be interesting. I have to work with her on a daily basis. My guess is she'll just quit, which sucks. She quits everything though. Oh well. Romance + office - romance = unhappy office.
Every workplace romance in a company that forbids such behavior, has the added element of conspiring to break the rules. That's what makes it worth doing.
Chances are that there are a fair number of members of the opposite sex at companies where the average slashdotters work. They may not work in the same department, but they are indeed there.
I don't know about you, but I often enjoy talking to people who don't do the same things professionally that I do. It helps me keep perspective on things and makes sure I get out on occasion. If all of my friends (including girlfriends that I have had) were into all of the same things that I was, I'd be bored out of my skull.
Everything I need to know I learned by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Yeah, but combine that with an HR department that has a hair trigger when it comes to firing people over 'uncomfortable workplace/sexual harrassment' issues and you get an environment where you could lose your job for merely asking someone out. Remember, geeks aren't that great at social interaction and communications. What we may think is perfectly acceptible may trigger a "Ewww..that creepy IT guy is hitting on me" email shitstorm that will culminate with you unemployed by the end of the day.
the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
I can't really comment on the "creepy IT person is hitting on me" part because I usually end up being the one that gets approached. I tend to read people fairly well. It's just one of those things.
As for the rampant screams of "sexual harassment", some of them are deserved, yes, but a lot of those situations arise because people don't tell the person in question that something they are doing is making you uncomfortable. It really comes down to people taking responsibility for themselves and working things out first instead of running to HR right away and saying something that may in fact be blown completely out of proportion.
Talk to that person first. If they don't stop, then go to HR or whatever the next step should be.
I'm a pragmatic (and generally pretty polite) person. If I'm doing something that somebody isn't comfortable with, chances are very good that if they tell me, I'll stop doing it (unless there is very good reason for what I am doing).
Everything I need to know I learned by killing smart people and eating their brains.
You obviously haven't worked in an environment like that. We've had guys get fired within an hour of accidentally sending a lame, but tasteless joke to the wrong person. It wasn't a pattern of harrassment. It was one email to a non-management female in another department. One guy I know had a meeting with an HR droid where they disclosed that they were investigating claims that people were ....(drumroll please)... "calling him a Canuck" and that if he was offended with such derogatory comments, they would continue to pursue it under the appropriate zero tolerance guidelines put in place by the HR dept. His response: "why would I be offended? I am a Canuck!"
Dunno about US, but none of the places I've been working in Finland have warned about romances in any way.
Everyone who makes generalizations should be shot.
The zero tolerance HR people should be sacked - zero tolerance for such people ;).
She is VERY good friends with his money..
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Seems a bit unfair.