The office is fertile ground for intimate relationships, and that’s hardly surprising when people spend a long time together.

If you’re lucky enough to get a bunch of flowers or a card from a work colleague on Valentine’s Day and love blossoms, in what circumstances could employers put a stop to the romance?

The right to respect for private and family life

It’s difficult for employers to object to workplace relationships. Romantic ties are personal and any objections would likely to be inconsistent with the right to respect for private and family life under Human Rights’ law.

The European Convention on Human Rights, which is incorporated into UK law, states that everyone has the right to respect for their private and family life subject to a few limited exceptions. Although only public bodies must expressly comply with this right, it’s relevant to all employers (including the private sector) as courts and tribunals must interpret, as far as possible, all legislation consistently with the right.

Poor performance

Should the relationship affect the work performance of either employee, including if the relationship turns sour, the employer could invoke their poor performance procedures. However, it would be hard to dismiss the employee unless, in spite of an improvement plan being put in place and warnings being issued, an acceptable level of performance had not been reached.

Generally, employees who have two years’ continuous service have the right not to be unfairly dismissed. Employees could argue that their employer did not have a fair reason to dismiss, or that a fair process had not been followed.

Line manager liaisons

In the case of relationships between line managers and those staff that report to them, favouritism and perceived favouritism can be a tricky issue. In some situations it may be appropriate for employers to have policies requiring such a relationship to be disclosed, and that breaching such policies could result in disciplinary action being taken. However, imposing a general requirement on employees to disclose all personal relationships would again be likely to interfere with the right to respect for private and family life.

Employers should apply relationship polices consistently, and our equality legislation prohibits employers discriminating against employees due to certain protected characteristics including age, sex and race, among others.

Supposing, as an example, a male manager in their fifties was having a relationship with a much younger female receptionist and the receptionist was hauled up and not the manager? There could be grounds for age and sex discrimination.

Pillow talk

Confidential information being passed on by staff could also be a problem for employers.

If an employee tells their partner about a confidential discussion with another employee this could breach confidentiality obligations. Disciplinary action might be appropriate.

In another scenario where, for instance, two employees are having an intimate relationship and one leaves the organisation to work for a competitor, there could be a real risk that the remaining employee could disclose confidential information to their partner. If this information were then passed on to the competitor, this could have serious consequences. It would be hard though for the employer to take action disciplinary against the existing employee solely on the basis that there might be a chance of pillow talk.

Usually, therefore, employers aren’t able to meddle with personal relationships at work.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled – leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: “Europe’s largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid £3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rue’s contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped £4m off of Flybe’s revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airline’s estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Around 269 AD Valentine was sentenced to beating, stoning and decapitation for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry. If an employer frustrates your office romance and threatens to pass sentence, subject to any duty of disclosure, I would tell them politely to mind their own business.

Banning relationships is bad. Love (and not just on the Feast of Saint Valentine) is good and makes the world go round.