Most of the country has heard by now about the cheating scandal that rattled tech start-up, Astronomer, when their CEO and CPO were caught on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert. The two C-suite executives, allegedly having an affair, were called out by the singer for either just being shy or looking guilty. The moment went viral, resulting in a public relations nightmare for the two employees and their employer. It’s hard to resist the drama of a workplace scandal, but beyond the headlines, there are important HR lessons to take away. Incidents like this are a good reminder to review your policies on workplace relationships, ensure employees receive proper training, and have a clear crisis plan in place in case a similar situation arises at your organization.

For HR Professionals, this is a great reminder to review your company’s policies on personal workplace relationships and ensure that they are clearly written and up to date. Include what your stance is, whether you allow relationships or not, and the parameters around them. It is best practice to prohibit relationships between superiors and subordinates due to potential conflicts of interest. Not to mention, workplace relationships in general are shown to have a negative effect on team morale, and many employees report that a coworker's office romance has made them uncomfortable at some point in their career. An executive-level employee should have the organization’s best interest when they are at work and having a significant other thrown into the mix can blur their priorities. Even if the relationship works out, the organization most likely still takes a hit, at the very least to the company culture.  Consider including language that highly advises against dating another employee, but includes a process for disclosure and consent of a relationship and potential prohibited behaviors like PDA, etc., if it does happen. Ensure the disclosure policies are clearly communicated and understood by defining exactly what the boundaries are and what the consequences are when people cross them. You could also state that you have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, favoritism, or discrimination in any type of workplace relationship. In addition to including these Code of Conduct and workplace relationship policies in your employee handbook, you should aim for more visibility and discuss the policies frequently, with company-wide messaging.

One important takeaway from this situation is the lack of separation of powers. Ideally, HR should not report directly to executive peers. Instead, there should be an independent reporting structure such as a board or designated escalation channel to ensure objectivity and protect the integrity of HR’s role. The CPO reporting to the CEO at Astronomer compromised the trust with the HR department and interfered with the CPO’s ability to fairly handle investigations and complaints. It is essential to have these escalation protocols in place and to always consult with legal counsel or a third party for any workplace investigations at this senior level. Additionally, it's essential to examine whether your executives and C-suite are incentivized to uphold their company’s ethical standards and codes of conduct. Meaning, does your organization create a culture where higher-ups benefit more from bending the rules than from upholding the policies? For example, does a high-performing employee at your company get a pass for bullying? Spending some time to carefully examine your company culture and using regular engagement surveys to gauge employees' perceptions can help you uncover these answers. The right culture will be one where employees feel empowered to report misconduct without fear of retaliation. Additionally, utilizing ethics, integrity, and leadership training can assist in preventing this type of unethical behavior in the first place.

Although most companies do a lot to prevent unethical employee behavior, sometimes it is unavoidable. How the company and HR respond next can either turn a bad situation around or make it worse. Having a Crisis Communication Plan in place that leaders are informed of and that can be easily followed and executed is essential in surviving a public relations scandal with minimal damage. Each company's crisis response might look a little different, but they should all include a few of the same testaments.

• It is best to avoid constantly shifting the narrative and denying allegations or making contradictory statements, as this can damage credibility.
• Internally, try to keep the gossiping at bay with employees, don’t participate in it, and encourage others to do the same.
• With both employees and the public, the crisis communication plan should focus on the company and participating employees or former employees taking accountability and being transparent from the get-go, while still protecting necessary confidentiality, especially while investigations are still pending.
• Firing at fault employees or putting them on administrative leave while you are conducting any investigations is best practice and a way to repair your professional image, reputation, and brand.
• You may want to include a succession plan and contingency plan for your staff, so you are not left stranded with job openings in crucial roles.

Swift action and a timely response in the face of a scandal are vital, and your actions must show your company’s commitment to its values and morals.

While it’s not always easy, HR professionals are responsible for upholding ethical standards, maintaining a healthy workplace culture, investigating issues, enforcing policies, and helping prevent future risks. By learning from others’ missteps, we’re reminded that strong ethics and effective leadership go hand in hand.

ASE Connect

Resources

Handling a Public Relations Crisis

Sample Policy for Couples Who are Dating or Living Together

Sample Dating in the Workplace Policy

Sample Love Contract/Consensual Relationship Letter

ASE members can find more resources like above in the member exclusive resources - CCH AnswersNow and Zywave HR Services Suite available on the ASE Member Dashboard.

ASE Handbook Services

ASE can provide employee handbook review or update. If an organization does not have an employee handbook yet, ASE can develop a complete employee handbook customized to your organization’s policies and practices. If you have a handbook, we can review it for compliance as well as layout for ease of reading. For information about ASE employee handbook review and development services contact Michael Burns.

Sources:

https://fortune.com/2025/07/18/astronomy-ceo-andy-byron-hr-crisis-internet-consequences-company-culture-astronomer-kiss-cam-coldplay/

https://www.vinylmeplease.com/blogs/music-industry-news/the-astronomer-scandal-insights-into-leadership-conduct-and-corporate-culture?srsltid=AfmBOopl2b_XFSyWmiwRWhyGYoSv2SdT-rdo9PAucX1HJGpLLl1iXCLx

https://natlawreview.com/article/caught-act-practical-and-legal-considerations-when-executives-office-love-affair#:~:text=A%20romantic%20relationship%20between%20a,threat%20to%20careers%20and%20families.

https://wellhub.com/en-us/blog/organizational-development/workplace-relationships-policy/

https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/kiss-cam-scandal-hr-implications/#:~:text=Internal%20Communication,could%20make%20more%20informed%20decisions.