Coldplay kiss-cam: Why employee scandals matter, and how they impact company performance

CapeTalk's John Maytham speaks to Lauren Salt, Executive in the Employment Practice at ENS.

Listen below:

Last week, social media went into a frenzy as footage from the kiss cam at Coldplay’s Massachusetts concert went viral.

RELATED: WATCH: Busted! Coldplay kiss cam outs couple’s cheeky affair

The group was performing ‘The Jumbotron Song’ when the kiss cam captured a man and woman in a loving embrace. Upon seeing themselves, the pair ducked to hide.

"Whoa... look at these two… Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” lead singer Chris Martin said to thousands of fans.

The pair were identified by US media as co-workers, CEO Andy Byron and Human Resources Executive Kristin Cabot, at US tech company Astronomer.

It also came to light that the pair are married - not to each other - and were having an affair.

The pair have resigned, and Byron has issued a public apology to his family and employees.

RELATED: CEO and HR exec resign after Coldplay kiss cam goes viral

Salt explains what implications this might have legally and reputationally for the company. 

"It doesn't necessarily mean that just because they're in a relationship that there's some sort of issue but companies often regulate these sort of things... they require disclosures if you're in a workplace relationship, there's often mitigation that they may put in place..."

- Lauren Salt, ENS

Some labour contracts might allude to employer-employee moral behaviour and obligations to the company, or how your actions can be detrimental to the company or its reputation.

While some contracts may not overtly list an action like a workplace relationship, it might be a heavier regulating clause, Salt explains. 

"Someone may call into question the judgement calls made by the senior leadership there and if their response is not to openly embrace it but to duck and hide as the kiss-cam comes into the decision that you've made - that may impact the company and it may impact certain people who engage with the company or purchase their products to say well, do we really trust the business decisions being made here? Do we trust what they're telling us about their products, and is everything above board?"

- Lauren Salt, ENS

"The morbid fascination with this story tells us that some people are thinking that this is something worth looking [at] ..."

- Lauren Salt, ENS

Maytham asks: Should we not care more about the performance of the firm rather than the personal lives and scandals at the firm?

"Human nature is drawn to scandal... people care more about the scandal than they do about the job performance, which then requires the company to react, spend time and energy on perception management... that in itself can impact company performance."

- Lauren Salt, ENS

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.