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Additional Posts in The Worklife Bowl
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Chief
Absolutely… I have both. It’s all fun and games, typically for guys your work wife is another guy in the office or at another campus. Have I had female colleagues that I have had close relationships with that may have fallen into the category of “too close for comfort”, sure, but you keep those at an arms length.
I’ve noticed that some people now are getting a little bit touchy regarding this, and I guess if you interpret it as the literal equivalent of your actual spouse, then I get it. However that’s not how it’s meant to be interpreted… You are not in a financially binding agreement with your “work-wife”, you didn’t exchange vows with your “work-wife” (or maybe you have symbolically). If you are someone who holds a marriage in a super high regard, and it’s your sole purpose in life to be a spouse, then I understand the lack of joy surrounding this topic.
There’s no need to be so sensitive around it, it’s a joke. To be quite honest with you, I don’t know if you’ve ever actually worked with your spouse before, but I have, and there is a stark difference between that relationship and the “work wife” relationship. At times, I like my “work wife” more than my actual wife, and I tend to spend more of the daytime with them anyway, so I guess the math maths…
Baby we need a TLDR 😣
Both of my work wives left for better gigs!
I had a team member get terminated over this. She walked up to 3 people in the hallway, one of whom she considered her "work husband", unbeknownst to him actually. She made a very innocent light touch, like the shoulder tap and said "Hey!". Immediately, the female in that group said "Who are you....?" to which my TM responded with "I'm Tiffany, John's work wife."
John was instantly embarrassed and floundering for an explanation to the other woman, who finally interjected, "I'm Stephanie, John's REAL wife. I think you need to leave."
That day I got the notice from HR that she was being terminated for sexual harassment.
What a psycho to think any of this was appropriate or okay or acceptable lmfao
Ew. Better analogy: I have a work sister/trauma buddy.
Rising Star
I’ve had work wives in the past but none right now.
A pint-sized Henry VIII
No man can have the privilege to be my work husband. Work wife though? Hell yeah 👯♀️
Visual Storyteller
I’m a straight woman and my work husband is gay. Even though we’ve divorced our firm that brought us together, we are still finding a way to make it work.
Chief
No work husband. Never been close to anyone like that.
Yes, I have a husband. He gets to hear it all - good, bad, ugly, and sad.
My former boss was my friend before and after he was my boss. We were also friends outside of work. We had lunch in the work café together or went out to lunch almost 5 days per week for over 15 years (also after he was my boss for a few years). I joked that he was my work husband (I'm male). It made him uncomfortable, but his second wife thought it was hilarious.
While I think it’s natural to get to know your colleagues well if you work with them for years, it’s also healthy to have understood boundaries. As long as both colleagues know this and don’t cross lines, there isn’t anything unreasonable to have friends at work, even close friends. If that spills over outside of work your spouse may have some issues with that. I think the whole concept depends on who you are, what your relationship is with your spouse, and your idea of how close you can be with coworkers. Everyone is different and to each their own!
I have lost count of all my work kids from multiple partners. Raised them up and sent them on their way. They grow up so fast. 😢
Hey work dad, remember I let you borrow $1,000? You haven’t paid me back, old man 👴🏼
I used to have work wives (would never have a real wife, the legal structure is ridiculous), but it's too dangerous these days. I pretend to be gay at work for diversity points and to insulate me from the BS.