By The Way...

Tuesday, February 13, 2007
11:27:00 AM EST
Hearing Nothing at the moment
I found this article very interesting: Significant Others at the Office, and no, it's not about having an affair at work:

When someone calls Julie Eyerman at work, Brad Mislow may be in the background, commenting on the conversation. And why not? They work together every day, and have for eight years, at a major advertising firm in New York. In fact, they have become so much a part of the other's life that even though they are both married to other people, they call each other their work spouse.

You may share a cubicle or office with him. You may realize she finishes your sentences. You argue, you make up, you share confidences. You have inside jokes, you support each other, and you know the other one's real spouse's birthday.

This sort of work relationship has become so much a part of our lives that it has become part of our jargon. It has even been studied by the Gallup Organization. Conclusion: Work spouses (the platonic kind) increase productivity and heighten morale.

Back in the day when I actually worked in an office -- in a cubicle, no less! -- I had something of an arrangement like this with my co-worker Jill. She and I would do a lot of bickering and chatting and occasionally, when things became heated, we'd fire up our toy lightsabers and resolve the problem that way. You know, like you do. When you're a geek. She was really an excellent person to share a cubicle with and definitely made being at work both more fun and more productive. So yes, if you can manage one of these strictly-Platonic work spouses, I highly recommend them. Worked for me.


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This entry has 4 comments: (Add your own)

• #4 Comment from monponsett 
  2/14/07 8:32 AM | Permalink

  I'd have to need the money pretty badly to sit in one of those cubicle mazes for 8 hours. I'd just do everything from home.
  
  Even when I had my own separate office, I was too much for some co-workers. Usually they complained about the music, although sometimes it involved the screaming.
• #3 Comment from speakertomanager 
  2/13/07 12:13 PM | Permalink

  This happens in a lot of stressful jobs; the reason we're hearing about it now in this context is that office workers weren't cool until recently.  We were just the stratum of scum underneath the heros' feet that they needed in order to have somewhere to stand (and <i>who</i> I ask you, handed them the lever?).
  
  But think of the police partner relationship.  This is officially created and sanctioned, but it's not very different from a marriage, whether the couple is of mixed gender or not.  And a good partnership works, just as a good marriage works, when the partners have each other's back, and know it.
  
• #2 Comment from psychfun 
  2/13/07 11:52 AM | Permalink

  Yes, and can make real spouses so jealous!!! Amazing!
• #1 Comment from journalseditor 
  2/13/07 11:31 AM | Permalink

  CNN did a piece on this last year, featuring work spouse and Journaler Jess ( http://journals.aol.com/aurielalata/CIWTheOtherInvisible/ ) -- I did an entry about it:  http://journals.aol.com/journalseditor/magicsmoke/entries/2006/03/24/office-spouses-and-the-other-other-woman/1224
  -- Joe