Heartache to headache: why workplace relationships are a problem

McDonald’s and BlackRock have both parted ways with senior executives after workplace relationships came to light. So what are the risks of an office romance?

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Late last year workplace relationships hit the headlines with a bang. First global fast-food chain McDonald’s fired its British chief executive Steve Easterbrook for having a relationship with an employee. Then it happened again. This time BlackRock, the world’s biggest fund manager, parted company with senior executive Mark Wiseman for similar reasons following a “romantic relationship with a colleague”. Wiseman had been touted as a potential successor to BlackRock’s CEO Larry Fink.
Suddenly, workplace relationships were boardroom topics in two of the world’s most successful companies. Wiseman said in a statement that he was g
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