At what point does a manager’s behavior become a workplace issue in Latin America?
I work at a relatively small but well-connected industry association in a public/corporate affairs-type role, and I’ve been there for a while.
One of the managers (mid-30s, married) has a pattern of flirting with a significant number of women across the organization. To be clear, he doesn’t do this with his direct reports, but with coworkers in other teams and even women from member organizations we interact with professionally.
This goes beyond being friendly. It’s consistent, noticeable behavior that multiple people have picked up on. There’s also a general perception within the office that some of these interactions may have crossed into something more personal.
What makes it more uncomfortable is that in professional settings (events, meetings, etc.), the lines between personal and professional start to blur. Since we work closely with external stakeholders, it raises questions about boundaries and whether this could affect how relationships are handled.
There are also some leadership dynamics that make it worse. He sometimes makes comments implying that he doesn’t really “work” and that most of the actual work is done by his team, which comes across as dismissive.
He also presents a very different image in professional contexts compared to how he behaves internally, which adds to the overall sense that something is off.
There are noticeable shifts in dynamics when he’s around that coworkers have commented on, which adds to the general discomfort in the workplace.
As far as I know, our company policies don’t explicitly prohibit relationships between coworkers, so this may not violate a formal rule.
Some people seem to ignore it, while others are clearly aware of what’s going on.
My concern is less about any individual situation and more about the potential organizational impact. Given the visibility and relevance of our organization in our field, if this pattern were to escalate or become more visible externally, it could affect workplace culture and professional relationships.
I’m not personally involved, but it’s hard to ignore when it’s so visible.
In your experience, how is this kind of situation usually viewed in Latin America? At what point does it become something that should be formally addressed within a workplace?