Workplace relationships are not new, especially in fast-moving startup environments where people spend long hours working closely together. But what happens when those relationships move towards marriage and are formally disclosed at work is where things can get complicated. A recent post shared by an employee on Reddit has brought this issue into focus, after he claimed he was asked to leave his job just a day after informing his company about his plans to marry a colleague.
What the employee shared
According to the Reddit post, the employee said he and his co-worker, who are in a relationship, are planning to get married in about two months. Both of them work at a small startup in India, in developer and QA roles. He made it clear that they are not in a direct reporting hierarchy.
The employee explained that they chose to inform their manager and senior team members in a professional way. They also asked if there were any company rules or conflict-of-interest concerns they should be aware of.
However, things took a turn quickly. He wrote that within a day of sharing this information, they were told that one of them might have to leave the company. As per the employee, it now seems the company is leaning towards terminating him.
He then asked others online if this kind of action is normal or fair in startups and whether companies are allowed to take such decisions even when there is no direct reporting relationship.
How people responded online
Several users responded saying that such policies are not unusual, especially in corporate setups. One Reddit user said that almost all companies follow a rule where married couples cannot be in the same team. The user added that in bigger companies, there is sometimes an option to move internally to another team, though even that is not always easy. In a smaller startup, the user suggested, the only practical option might be for one person to find another job.
Another user pointed out that conflict of interest is the main concern. According to them, if both employees are not part of the same reporting structure, it is usually allowed. But issues can arise depending on the nature of the roles.
This concern was further explained by another comment, which said that one person should not be in a position where they influence the other’s career decisions. In this case, since one is a developer and the other is in QA, there is a possibility that one person’s work is being reviewed by the other, which could be seen as a conflict.
Some users kept their responses short, saying this is common in most companies and advised the employee to move on. Another comment described it as standard operating procedure and suggested checking if a department change is possible.
Startup limitations and fewer options
The original poster later responded, explaining that the company is very small, with around 20 employees, and he is the only tester. Because of this, shifting roles or departments may not be realistic.
Another user replied to this saying that in such a setup, the likely outcome is that one of them will have to start looking for opportunities elsewhere.
While some responses supported the company’s stance, others hinted at broader concerns in the job market. One comment suggested that developers today are being let go for various reasons, with changing industry dynamics also playing a role.