The NETWORK Explores 'Love at Work', Opens Membership to Men

On Monday 16 February 2026, Luxembourg-based international professional women's association The NETWORK held an event titled "Love at Work" at Amazon LUX18 in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.

The event aimed to foster an open and honest conversation about relationships at work, addressing questions around flirting, consent, boundaries, responsibility, acceptable behaviour and power dynamics in the workplace.

The evening opened with remarks from The NETWORK President Monika Ruseva, who credited the association's more than 30 years of success to its volunteers and announced a new volunteer programme open to individuals able to commit for at least three months. She also revealed that The NETWORK would soon open membership to men. While men are currently welcome to attend events, they cannot yet join as members. Monika said the association aimed to involve men more in the discussion to create "positive change". Monday's audience of nearly 50 attendees included mostly women, as well as several male participants.

The interactive discussion was moderated by The NETWORK Events Director Orsolya Kelemen and featured guest speakers Sébastien Garcin, Paris-based CEO of YZR and founder of the gender-equality initiative Men at Work, and Cândida Nedog, Senior Corporate Relations Manager at Aztec and co-organiser of TEDxLuxembourgCity.

Sébastien Garcin opened with statistics illustrating how common workplace relationships are, noting that "flirting at work is a reality". He shared that 10% of couples in France met at work and that 62% of French people reported having had a romantic or sexual relationship with a colleague. Sébastien discussed different forms of workplace power and asymmetry between men and women, emphasising that consent represents the boundary between mutual attraction (or "seduction") and harassment. He described unwanted advances as harassment, adding that sexual violence at work is also a reality. This can be exacerbated by risk factors such as low gender diversity, strong sectoral stereotypes or informal social work events.

Cândida Nedog addressed the importance of psychological safety in organisations. She stressed that while attraction is human, behaviour remains a matter of personal responsibility. A psychologically safe workplace, she explained, allows employees to "say no" without fear of negative consequences. She highlighted the need for transparency and clear frameworks, noting that open communication with human resources can help manage workplace relationships and prevent conflicts of interest.

Both speakers shared personal reflections on navigating power imbalances and rejection. Sébastien reiterated the importance of recognising asymmetries in workplace hierarchies and stepping back when interest is not mutual. Cândida encouraged reframing rejection as "data input" (information) rather than humiliation, advocating maturity and self-respect.

The discussion also addressed how organisations can foster equitable workplace cultures. The speakers noted that while private relationships cannot always be regulated, companies benefit from clear guidelines and open dialogue. They touched on topics such as generational differences, emotional education - including the need to educate men on effective communication - and the role of both men and women in building respectful professional environments.

The evening concluded with a networking reception.

The NETWORK also announced an upcoming International Women's Day event scheduled for Thursday 12 March 2026 at Silversquare Luxembourg. The event will focus on the theme "Allies at Work: Building Fair Workplaces Together.

(Pictured, L-R: Orsolya Kelemen; Sébastien Garcin; Cândida Nedog)