ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2006 > October > 29
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Office spouse or just cube-mate?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you have a coworker who knows you better than your spouse or partner at home? Do you grab coffee or lunch together every day and know every detail about each other?
I once had an ‘office spouse’ at a previous job. Let’s call him Austin for the sake of anonymity.
Austin was such a great guy! He would listen to my gripes every day because we reported to the same grouchy boss and he knew just when to suggest a quick trip to Starbucks because I needed an energy boost.
Austin would pick up my office mail and faxes for me and even walk me out to my car every night to make sure I got in safely.
Saying goodbye to him was probably the hardest part of leaving that job and we still keep in touch, even though we were nothing more than good friends, or office spouses - some might say.
We ran a ‘Cubicle Couples’ story in Features section of the AJC a few months back which addressed this very workplace dynamic. The story revealed that a survey released by Vault claimed that out of 700 people, one in three people had a work wife or office hubbie.
The story then went on to say that these types of relationships were often great for employees because they gave them extra support and balance in the office. On the other hand though, just as quickly as these relationships formed, they could also quickly sour when promotions were announced or jealousy flared up.
Have you ever had a work wife or office spouse? How did your other coworkers or spouse at home react to this?
Does being part of a cubicle couple make you happy or do you feel all tangled up in an emotional web?
