Real spouse and "work-spouse"
By bhonti
@bhonti (1246)
Philippines
April 10, 2012 11:58pm CST
Yesterday, my friend at work told me this study that he heard from a radio station.
According to him, 65% of working people have their work-spouse aside from their real spouse.
Work-spouse is the person you are always with at work. You talk always, you eat together and you spend most of the time together. Basically you spend more time (awake time) with your work spouse which is 8-10 hours a day than with your real partners which is 3-4 hours a day, excluding the sleeping time.
I actually consider this friend of mine my work boyfriend because he is one of my close friends here in the office. I have lots of work boyfriends here actually. 
How about you guys, do you also have your work spouse/ work boyfriend/ work girlfriend?
How about you guys, do you also have your work spouse/ work boyfriend/ work girlfriend?1 person likes this
6 responses
@almond24 (1248)
• Hungary
11 Apr 12
I know what it is, but the term is just weird... It's fine to make friends at work of course, not to mention they make time go more quickly and solving problems is easier... but I don' want to be so close to a colleague that we would be like spouses, especially with real life partners in the background. But it's true this kind of relationship is quite common.
@bhonti (1246)
• Philippines
11 Apr 12
I know its a bit awkward to call your close friends in the office your spouse. Imagine the look on their face when you call them that.
You guys have very interesting responses here. Looks like most of us here have their close friends in the office.
You guys have very interesting responses here. Looks like most of us here have their close friends in the office.1 person likes this
@janportiacastro (35)
• Philippines
11 Apr 12
The term seems funny but when I think about it some more I remember my ex-coworker last month from my previous job. You see, the guy has three kids and of course a wife while the girl is single (We think). They belong to the same group in our team so that's their reason of being always together. They always talk together, even share their food as if their "real" partners, laugh together and even go to office together. But whenever they're asked what's the real score, they would only answer "we're just close". It seems unethical that they pose their closeness like that. I really hope that they're not having an affair because if proven not only them would be ruined but the families of the guy.
@annrielyn_03 (350)
• Philippines
11 Apr 12
wow, i haven't heard of that. if i'm single thats very cool! but as a wife, if i would know that my husband has a work spouse or he calls her work friend that term, i might slap them both. lol! it's not good that you are developing a relationship like that. you cannot consider him/her as spouse even if it is only in work until you have this intimate relationship. well that's my point of view anyway. if that's what you call your best friend and or work friend, then so be it. but for my husband and i, i think he too will be mad if i call my work friend my work-spouse.
@annrielyn_03 (350)
• Philippines
11 Apr 12
'you know, hearing the word "spouse" makes it differ in meaning. some sort of a miss interpretation for husband, wife relationship. =)
@knicnax (2232)
• Philippines
11 Apr 12
when you use the word "spouse", "boyfriend", or "girlfriend" it invokes a meaning in our minds, that there is an intimacy between the persons involved. Not good. There are terms for work relationships, a generic one would be "colleague". You can also say, my work friend, or office friend or even officemate. Here in the Philippines we use the phrase "kabarkada ko sa office" which means my friend in the office or someone from my gang/circle of friends in the office. You can even use "best friend" if you really are
@ms_rochel22 (2)
•
11 Apr 12
all of us has there own work spouse and there real spouse.yes i am one of it i had my own work spouse but still i gave more time to my real spouse. work spouse is just the one who is willing to help us in our work but real spouse are the one who help us in all our problems
@bhonti (1246)
• Philippines
11 Apr 12
The work spouse I think must be your close friends. You are close enough to be comfortable with each other and you can even tell them your personal problems. They are like your spouses in a way, but its still different because you do not have feelings for each other.
