Supervisor-Subordinate Friendships Can Lead To Charges of Favoritism and Other Problems

Cynthia Blevins Doll, a partner in the Louisville office, was quoted in the May 14 BNA HR Report article "Supervisor-Subordinate Friendships Can Lead To Charges of Favoritism and Other Problems." The article noted that, although most employers have policies and procedures in place to deal with office romances, close friendships between supervisors and subordinates also can prove to be problematic. Cynthia said: "A supervisor can be friendly, but you need to maintain professional distance and remember at all times that you are the boss. People often spend more time with their co-workers than anyone else, so it is natural for friendships to develop. You have to be sure that managers are trained to understand that they have to be held to a higher level." Above all, she added, "consistency is absolutely the key" in how supervisors should engage with employees.