What are the best steps for HR to take when two employees are engaged in...

When employees engage in an intimate relationship, HR should refer to organizational policy (A) and determine reporting relationships (B). At the SPHR level, the primary concerns are conflict of interest, power imbalance, and risk mitigation.

Policies—such as fraternization or conflict-of-interest policies—provide guidance on acceptable conduct, disclosure requirements, and corrective actions. Determining reporting relationships is essential to identify potential supervisory conflicts that could lead to favoritism, harassment claims, or retaliation.

Counseling employees (C) may be appropriate later but is not the first step. Doing nothing (D) ignores potential risk. Relocation (E) may be considered if a reporting conflict exists, but it is not an initial step.

SPHR exam content emphasizes proactive, policy-driven responses to workplace relationships to protect employees and the organization.

References :

HRCI SPHR Exam Content Outline — Functional Area: Employee Relations and Engagement (workplace conduct; conflict of interest).

HRCI SPHR Study Guide — Managing workplace relationships and risk.

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