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I work for a large company in the leisure sector. A year ago, we recruited a glamorous HR director, who has recently embarked on an affair with our CEO. Both are married and I’m sure they think they are being discreet, but their relationship is much remarked on and gossiped about by staff. In some ways it is none of our business, but they are conducting the affair on company time (and sometimes, I gather, on company property). Also both of them are inclined to issue “motivational” memos telling staff to be more passionate about work. It all sticks in the gullet. Should someone say something. And if so, who?
Manager, male, 51
Lucy’s Answer
You say your chief executive’s affair is not your business. You are quite right: it isn’t. But then, as if to excuse your outrage, you say that they are fornicating on company time and on company property. The first is meaningless as time is stretchy – as long as they are doing their work this doesn’t matter.
All of us waste some time in the office, mostly in less exciting ways such as ordering our groceries online. And as for company property, unless they are tearing down the blinds and damaging the chandeliers, I can’t see that this has any implications for shareholders either.
You then cite the motivational memos. In my experience these memos almost always stick in the gullet – whether the sender is engaged in a torrid affair has nothing to do with it.
You say everyone is gossiping about them. I can’t see a problem here either – at least, not from your standpoint. Gossiping is an enjoyable activity, and the more senior and scurrilous the subject, the more diverting it is.
The only problem is that if everyone knows, they will get found out soon. Which means that, depending on what country you are in, you may lose a chief executive
Harry Stonecipher was fired as head of Boeing in the puritanical US over an affair with a staff member, on the – possibly spurious – grounds that the affair had clouded his judgment.
If you would like to hang on to this CEO then you should let him know his secret is not a secret at all. Then he may be able to do something about any incriminating e-mails, and be a little more restrained.
If you have a good relationship with him – which your bitter, tut-tutting e-mail suggests you do not – you could do it yourself.
Otherwise an anonymous letter might be best.
