I had a good relationship with my company’s Human Resources (HR) Department and embraced both their independent perspective and professional skills. During my last assignment, I oversaw the divestment of two international marketing teams, and all the employees were employed by the buyer. In one of these sales, over 100 employees moved to the new company. This transfer entailed many personnel decisions under governmental laws on employer’s obligations. All employees kept their existing positions and if the new company dismissed any employee during the first two years, our company committed to paying their salaries until the end of the two-year period.
HR was a relatively small department compared to my company’s commercial and technical departments. Only two HR employees were assigned to the sale projects. They answered detailed questions, spoke individually with affected employees, and implemented the transfer agreements. I was amazed that so few HR employees could assist so many employees.
During regular year-end performance evaluations, an HR representative attended all rating and ranking meetings and kept records of the decisions using an internal software system. When performance reviews were not submitted timely, HR contacted the manager and pushed for completion. I met monthly with my assigned HR manager to discuss employee performance issues. These regular meetings allowed me to gain valuable feedback.
The purpose of HR is to develop employees and enforce personnel policies. My company has 100,000 employees worldwide with offices in most countries. Employee productivity and well-being is paramount to the company’s profitability and existence. When a company expands from a handful of employees, it is normal to start hiring HR staff and expand HR as the company’s employees grows. HR is core to most organizations.
A few weeks ago, the CEO of the tech company Astronomer, Andy Byron, was filmed at a Coldplay concert in an intimate embrace with Astronomer’s HR Vice-President, Kristin Cabot. Both were married to other people. The video went viral, and they resigned from Astronomer within a week. It is not illegal for two consenting adults to have physical and sexual relationships, whether married or not. It is a private relationship, whether one agrees with it or not.
Their relationship became a corporate issue for the Astronomer Board of Directors for two reasons. First and foremost, the CEO was involved in a romantic relationship with a subordinate, the head of HR who enforced company policy. This relationship causes the CEO to be biased towards Cabot and destroys the trust relationships with other Astronomer employees. The CEO and VP of HR surely knew that the relationship was inappropriate by both of their reactions when caught on the Coldplay camera; they exhibited their guilt by quickly turning away from the camera. Before entering in a romantic relationship, one of the two should have resigned.
The second issue is Astronomer’s public reputation. Investors may negatively view the Coldplay video and possibly sell their shares, and potential shareholders may not purchase or decide to discount Astronomer’s share price. The financial markets may decide to pull credit or not lend money. The video went rampant on social media and was filled with both truthful and fabricated statements. The company recently hired Gwyneth Paltrow to boost their public relations. An inappropriate romantic relationship can cause much reputational harm, both personal and corporate.
Most people reading and watching the Coldplay video viewed the Byron-Cabot relationship as inappropriate and probably felt some compassion for those affected, especially their families. Regrettably, legal battles may be the next phase before the healing can begin. Scripture teaches that sexual relations are reserved for two adults in a long-term relationship (marriage). One commits a sin when sexual relations occur outside this moral boundary.
Before the public stones were thrown at Byron and Cabot, we should have first looked at our own sinful behaviors and reacted with compassion. It is far easier to shame those who fall short than to examine our own substandard behaviors. Byron and Cabot have taken much punishment for their actions. Healing and humility start first within each of us before we condemn the sins of others.
I doubt that this will be the last inappropriate office romance. Humans are sinful creatures. Reconciliation starts by examining your own sins before condemning another’s sins. “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (Luke 6:41) Let’s work on our own logs first.
