Finding Love on Slack

Workplace romance, says a career expert, can be a legal liability, or—if managed right—it can be a beautiful thing. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Good Morning!

Here are today’s highlights:

• Missouri’s attorney general is suing Starbucks for hiring too few White people.

• In his latest video, Lou Mosca says pride can be a sonofabitch,

• Ty Hagler notes that there are more than 100,000 highly skilled, mission-driven workers newly available for hire.

• Venture-backed startups are getting desperate.

SCHEDULING NOTE

The Morning Report will return on Tuesday. I hope you enjoy the weekend.

OUT-OF-OFFICE ROMANCE

Here’s how Slack became a dating app. Could that be a good thing? “For many employees, love isn't just in the air this Valentine's Day — it's waiting for them in their Slack channel. Since the shift to remote work, 86 percent of employees say it has been significantly easier to form romantic connections in the workplace, according to a recent study from resume building platform Zety. In fact, 62 percent admit to have recently initiated a romantic or flirtatious message to a colleague via a remote work platform, and 27 percent have been on the receiving end. ‘As a society, we've already transitioned to dating online,’ says Jasmine Escalera, Zety's career expert. ‘It's one of the ways that we're finding partners, so I think it makes sense that now that we have these online tools at work we're seeing the same kind of behavior there.’”

• “​​Those spicy Slacks are leading to long-term love: 46 percent say their most recent romantic partner was a colleague or teammate, and another 41 percent revealed their relationship was with a supervisor or manager. However, organizations should still adapt their workplace policies to address the new and potentially harmful behaviors that can result from these flirtatious interactions.”

• “Seventy-nine percent of employees have accidentally sent romantic or flirtatious messages to the wrong colleague or group chat, and 91 percent of respondents admit they've flirted to advance their career or gain favoritism. Sixty-nine percent have actually experienced favoritism or inappropriate perks resulting from workplace relationships. While 86 percent of employees believe workplace romances positively impact team dynamic, nonconsensual flirting or tension at the office can quickly become a larger problem and a legal liability.”

• “Still, Escalera believes that offices will continue to be a breeding ground for romance and relationships now and in the future, regardless of where and how employees are working. She also believes that it should be accepted, if not celebrated. ‘The heart wants what it wants,’ she says. ‘If everyone is doing everything the right way, workplace romances are just such a beautiful thing that can actually help boost morale and can make people feel really good. Everybody loves a good love story.’” READ MORE