“Professional Interpersonal Relationships & Ethical Conduct at the Workplace”, rather than focusing only on relationships between male and female employees.

Code of Conduct with Co-workers

An employee's interpersonal behaviour should be guided by five principles:

RESPECT → BOUNDARIES → CONSENT → PROFESSIONALISM → ACCOUNTABILITY

Respect

Speak respectfully, irrespective of designation or gender.

Avoid insulting, humiliating, suggestive or inappropriate comments.

Respect differences in personality, culture and personal choices.

Do not make someone's gender the basis for jokes or assumptions.

Professional boundaries

Friendship at work is perfectly possible, but professional boundaries must remain clear.

Employees should be careful about:

Excessive personal messaging

Unwanted personal questions

Repeated invitations after refusal

Physical contact without appropriate consent

Sharing intimate/personal information at work

Comments about someone's body, appearance or relationships

Behaviour that makes another person uncomfortable

A good relationship does not remove the need for boundaries.

Understand consent and comfort

One of the most important interpersonal-skill lessons is:

“My intention is not the only thing that matters; the other person's experience matters too.”

Someone may intend a comment as a joke, but if it is unwelcome or uncomfortable, the employee needs to recognise the boundary and stop.

Maintain professional communication

With female colleagues, employees should follow the same professional standards they would follow with any colleague.

Focus appreciation on professional contribution rather than physical appearance.

Avoid favouritism

Personal friendships or attractions should never influence:

Work allocation

Performance assessment

Promotions

Leave approval

Access to opportunities

Team decisions

This is particularly important when one employee has authority over another.

A personal relationship between consenting adults is not automatically a workplace misconduct issue. However, it can create professional and ethical risks when personal emotions start affecting workplace behaviour.

Heallthy boundary:

“We have a personal relationship, but at work we remain professional.”

Risky situation:

“Because we are close personally, I expect special treatment at work.”

Even more serious is when one person is a manager/senior and the other is a subordinate, because there may be concerns around power, perceived pressure, favouritism and conflicts of interest.

Personal relationship is personal; professional responsibility remains professional.”

Ethical Values an Employee Should Practise

Value Workplace Behaviour

Dignity Treat everyone with respect

Integrity Do the right thing even when nobody is watching

Empathy Consider how your behaviour affects others

Respect Honour personal and professional boundaries

Fairness Don't allow personal relationships to influence decisions

Confidentiality Don't share private conversations or personal information

Accountability Take responsibility for inappropriate behaviour

Professionalism Keep workplace interactions appropriate

This fits beautifully with your Interpersonal Relationship + Self-Identity concept.

“What kind of professional person am I?”

Am I respectful?

Do I understand boundaries?

Can I accept “No” gracefully?

Do I differentiate friendship from professional responsibility?

Can I manage attraction without allowing it to affect my behaviour?

Do I treat colleagues fairly?

Would I behave the same way if my manager were present?

That last question can be a powerful self-check, although it should not be the only test of whether conduct is appropriate.

“STOP–THINK–CHOOSE” Model

🛑 STOP

Before speaking, messaging or acting, pause.

🤔 THINK

Is it respectful?

Is it necessary?

Is it professional?

Could it make the other person uncomfortable?

Is there a power imbalance?

Would I be comfortable if this interaction were discussed openly?

✅ CHOOSE

Choose behaviour that protects:

Dignity + Respect + Boundaries + Professionalism

“Build healthy interpersonal relationships with everyone, while understanding professional boundaries, consent, power dynamics and ethical responsibility.”