Work Spouse

[DrPhil]

Do you know how to deal with a 'work spouse'?

Originally Posted by Article

The idea of a "work spouse" is nothing new. Workers have long been working overtime, especially during the recession. Now many co-workers spend more time together than they do with their own friends and families. Eventually these colleagues begin to resemble platonic significant others rather than cubicle neighbors.

In a 2008 survey, CareerBuilder found that 11 percent of workers said they had a work spouse. A work spouse is a co-worker with whom you share a relationship that resembles a normal marriage, except there's no romance behind it. As another survey by The Capitvate Network's Office Pulse points out, an office spouse can be of the same sex or the opposite sex. These are the co-workers they spend the day instant messaging, texting and emailing -- sometimes even on the weekends.

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What's up with this work spouse thing?

[christiangirl]

http://youtu.be/3Cr6Uc4OsF8

The article is right. This isn't new. A work spouse is someone you spend so much time with that you interact like a married couple minus the romance. Nothing can cause two people to bond like being trapped at work together for ungodly hours, especially if you're doing something you don't like.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

http://youtu.be/3Cr6Uc4OsF8

The article is right. This isn't new. A work spouse is someone you spend so much time with that you interact like a married couple minus the romance. Nothing can cause two people to bond like being trapped at work together for ungodly hours, especially if you're doing something you don't like.

Although I have a work crush, I thankfully don't have a spouse at my current job. It's way too small an office and I compartmentalize a LOT there. I really don't stay past five ever.

My last job - definitely had a work spouse. He was a straight male and we just spent a lot of time commiserating, helping each other, working together, bringing in food, going out, etc. (Etc = reenacting scenes from The Color Purple, School Daze, and Precious)

[agzg]

I'm a work polygamist.

[VandalSquirrel]

I don't have a work spouse, but with my coworkers and assistants we have a helper and support network. When someone has a medical issue or surgery we will offer rides to medical appointments and cook meals, even if that worker has a spouse or partner at home, as respite care is helpful. Since I work in the evenings and my assistants work into the night we all make sure everyone has a safe ride home if the weather is questionable, and swap shifts accordingly. I have more students as assistants and they are often broke, busy, and not eating well so we frequently do a potluck or dinner so people are eating healthy and saving money, and those who aren't on shift have been welcomed with a tupperware or have leftovers in the fridge for the next day.

My Law School friends always joke about their Law School Spouse, usually another student they have a friendship with that is much more like a Work Spouse than the situation in my office. I've had similar experiences in courses with a lot of lab work or when I'm out doing field work.

[KSUViolet06]

Definitely don't have one of those.

My work relationships are of the casual friend variety. We'll go to lunch and chat a little, but I don't have a work BFF or work spouse.

[AGDee]

I had a work spouse at my last job. What was funny was that his real spouse worked in our department also and we are good friends.

Essentially, it's your work partner. We were a "two person" group within our department with shared responsibilities so we simply worked very closely together, having to bounce ideas off of each other, rely on each other, trust each other, etc. We spent 17 hours in a server room one weekend trying to get a server up. We vented to each other, laughed together, had minor spats.

That's all it is. There's really nothing more to it than that.

[AlphaFrog]

No one even near my age here...so I have two work dads.

I had a co-worker 4 years ago that did refer to one of the guys as her work husband.

[33girl]

Dislike this term immensely.

The thought of any of the guys I currently work with being a spouse in ANY sense of the word is just hella ugh.

[Honeykiss1974]

I had a work spouse! He was more like a BFF/BGF though. Now that he works someplace else, I have no one to make a catty comment too.

We still text one another though and get together for lunch.

[knight_shadow]

For the most part, I've had "work moms," as I've always been the young guy in the office.

My current job is filled with people who are around my age, so we don't see each other as more than just colleagues.

[amIblue?]

I always joke about my "work boyfriend." There's no out of work contact, though. We just are part of a team and have to work together all the time on stuff. I do think that I may talk to him more than my husband, though. Most of the time that I spend with my husband, we're asleep; he works godawful hours. (Hubbie has got to get a better job!)

[Mevara]

I would say I have a work BFF, although other people in the office call him my work spouse. It's just someone that knows you really well and you tell them things you don't tell other people in the office. I rarely see them outside of the office unless it is for lunch.

[IrishLake]

Yep, two work spouses/BFFs. One is a guy, much younger than me and another is a chick who is the same age. There's lots of them where I work. Lots of real life spouses that work together too. The kid became my work husband because he couldn't say no to anything I asked him to do. I told my husband, and he said "Well at least one of us listens to you." and had himself a good laugh. All good! I'm lucky to work in a department full of awesome people.

[christiangirl]

I have a work spouse/BFF--she was my partner when I was still working FT on the kids' unit and we keep in constant contact now that I'm not there much. At the hospital, she's my person. No one else on the job quite gets me or has my back in quite the same way. We sit around making snarky comments, talking in funny accents, and sneaking snacks to each other when the other needs to stress eat. It's a win-win.