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The case of an employee who denied his messages about "love" to a colleague had any s-xual element raises broader issues for HR around communication and intent across different work cohorts, a conflict specialist says.

The 63-year-old employee was sacked for sexual harassment after he sent emojis (including a red lipstick kiss, thumbs up and two people kissing) and messages (saying "I love you" and "Be my valentine", among others), to a 28-year-old colleague.

The employee claimed his intent was friendly, not sexual, arguing that "I love you" was "part of the workplace banter" used by his younger colleagues, but the Fair Work Commission disagreed. (Read HR Daily's full report on the decision here.)

According to The Zalt Group director Zandy Fell, it's not uncommon for misunderstandings to arise when there's an "intergenerational layer" to workplace interactions...