Hm... you wrote your whole post assuming that the manager did something wrong after initiating the relationship (e.g. didn't report the relationship, didn't mak

Hm... you wrote your whole post assuming that the manager did something wrong after initiating the relationship (e.g. didn't report the relationship, didn't make sure the team was OK with it, didn't take care of any potential conflicts of interest, ...). My point in mentioning marriage was just that clearly, the subordinate was OK with the whole relationship thing. So, after the fact, the flirting was clearly not wrong/immoral/inappropriate. So, assuming everything was done correctly ("by the book") after the relationship had begun, would you still consider flirting inappropriate in all circumstances? > 2.) I am a huge fan of written policy forbidding romantic relationships between a manager and his/her direct reports. In an ideal world, this would be awesome. In the real world, people fall in love unexpectedly (even if they don't want to). What do you want them to do in that case? Repress their feelings, hide and lie about their relationship, quit their jobs hoping that it was worth it? I firmly believe that reasonable, emotionally mature people are able to handle relationships (and breakups) in a normal, not psychopathic or disturbing way.