Two employees in your team, Alex and Jesse are in a relationship. They have disclosed their personal relationships in accordance with company policy which permits relationships between employees of equal standing but has a zero tolerance rule against relationships between superiors and their direct reports.
A new position has become available and Alex is the most qualified candidate for the role. The hiring manager wants to offer Alex the position, however has notified HR that it will require Alex's partner, Jesse to report directly to him.
To accommodate, Jesse – who is a high performer within the team, and has been offered a role in a different department, but he doesn't wish to move. Both Alex and Jesse believe that their relationship will not affect their ability to perform, and you have no objections to the relationship. 
What would you do?
- As the manager of both Alex and Jesse in a management role for the organisation, where does your duty lie?
- Is this situation worthy of an exception to the policy?
- What is the fairest response to this situation?
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