In June 2023, WWE introduced a policy concerning sexual or romantic relationships within the workplace, a response to allegations of sexual misconduct involving former Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, which had surfaced a year earlier.
The policy, spanning three pages, has been made public for the first time, obtained by POST Wrestling and Wrestlenomics. Among its provisions, it prohibits employees from having any instructional, evaluative, or supervisory responsibilities over individuals with whom they are or were engaged in a consensual relationship.
Of particular note are the guidelines regarding the company’s top executives. WWE explicitly discourages consensual relationships involving board members or executive team members, including the CEO, President, CFO, Chief Content Officer, Chief Legal Officer, or Chief Human Resources Officer.
According to Dr. Lisa Mainiero, Professor of Management at Fairfield University, while many corporations have anti-harassment policies, only about thirty percent have policies addressing consensual relationships. Some companies even utilize “love contracts,” where both parties affirm the consensual nature of their relationship.
Although WWE’s policy includes a “Consensual Relationship Acknowledgement” form, Mainiero believes it falls short by not addressing hierarchical relationships, especially those where one party holds a position of power over the other.
The policy also stipulates that relationships between employees and independent contractors, including talent, must adhere to the Consensual Relationship Policy.
Professor Michael Z. Green, Director of the Workplace Law Program at Texas A&M University’s School of Law, criticizes the policy for not going far enough. He suggests that executives engaging in consensual relationships with subordinates should face termination from their positions.
While the policy outlines potential disciplinary actions for policy violations, including termination, WWE declined to comment on criticisms of the policy.
