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90 barista magazine meet | learn | develop | grow We bring the vibrant European barista community together, online and in person, and drive opportunities for baristas and the barista profession to develop. Join us at one of our upcoming events or help build our community by becoming a member. $P-BC]4QSJOH"VUVNO #BSJTUB$BNQ]-BUF4VNNFS Learn more at www.baristaguildofeurope.com at doing so. To prevent nepotism regarding pay and promotions, clearly outline how salaries, raises, and promotions are determined, then hold people accountable. To prevent on-shift favoritism, clearly outline roles of different positions on-shift, then hold people accountable. Make sure you have a clear system for how and why discipline is conducted, and then you'll prevent managers from leveraging power to discipline and terminate subordinates. Craft a detailed policy to hold managers ac- countable if their behavior becomes inappropriate, and make sure you have clear pathways for how to bring up a complaint against a manager, ideally not going through the manager themself. These policies, though harder to craft than the shortcut of prevent- ing hierarchical relationships altogether, will do a much better job of preventing abuses of power, not only in romantic relationships but in general. With strong policy in place, businesses can accept the fact that sometimes hierarchical relationships happen, and it's not necessarily fair to expect one party to leave the business in order to maintain the relationship—especially because the person pushed out is usually the subordinate. #2: "No dating within your own shop/department/shifts." These rules exist both to prevent specifi c workplace behaviors and to prevent scheduling complications, all of which are best addressed separately. Behavioral issues like displays of affection, laziness, inappro- priate speech, and fi ghting are all best addressed individually, with clear outlines for how disciplinary actions proceed. Addressing these con- duct issues will help prevent inappropriate conduct, both from couples who are in relationships and couples who break up. Regarding scheduling, many businesses create rules around working in separate departments or locations in order to make sure that partners don't ask for time off together or shared hours in ways that inconve- nience the staff. This is a real concern, but once again, addressing it on its own is the most effective strategy. Rules that regulate how to ask for time off, how many employees can take time off at once, and how managers determine who gets requested time off are crucial to smooth business functions in or out of relationships. Similarly, policy around schedule requests will serve employers well in the long run. As an added bonus, rules in all of these arenas will help when em- ployees work with friends, roommates, or bandmates. #3: "You can date, but don't expect any accommodation." This policy prevents workers from asking for shared schedules, expect- ing shared time off, requesting leniency for unprofessional behavior on-shift, or asking for separate schedules or transfers in the event of a breakup. This type of policy has the potential to be very effective, but it only works if you outline the specifi cs, which mostly guide on-shift behavior and scheduling, similarly to the policies suggested above. In general, shorthand rules like this are no substitute for real, clear sys- tems in the long run. UNDERSTAND THAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE INEVITABLE When humans work together, they benefi t from making strong con- nections in order to push through diffi cult situations; naturally, those connections sometimes become romantic in nature, and trying to make rules that prevent relationships rather than regulating conduct around them is at best unproductive and at worst discriminatory. "The idea that people shouldn't date is just unrealistic," says Umeko. "It happens. It's uncomfortable to admit, but what do we do when that happens?" She advises people to avoid demonizing relationships and reacting punitively. "You have to remain curious and open instead of a2ndcup.com // IT JUST WENT UNDERGROUND. DIDN'T END. and houston is a hub, which is why we're here. HOUSTON'S NON-PROFIT COFFEE SHOP DEDICATED TO ENDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING. THE PUBLIC WITH ALLIES AFTER-CARE educate partner fund