• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Do you have a work spouse?

June 4, 2010

Take this test to see if your close coworker relationship mirrors a real marriage.

A recent CareerBuilder.com survey revealed that one in 10 workers felt they had a work spouse, a coworker of the opposite sex with whom they had a platonic relationship. The same survey showed that 20 percent of workers polled indicated that their real-life spouse was jealous of their workplace counterpart. Find out if you have a work spouse by answering these seven questions. Then see how to manage work marriages.

Do you have a work spouse?

    1. Do you two share private jokes?

    2. Do you finish each other's sentences?

    3. Do you depend on each other for supplies, snacks, and aspirin?

Advertisement

    4. Do you know how the other takes his or her coffee and vice versa?

    5. Are you bluntly honest with each other about appearances and hygiene?

    6. When something big happens at work, do you seek each other out first for a de-briefing?

    7. Do you know almost as much about each other's personal lives as your best friends or real-life spouses do?

If you answered yes to all of the above, congratulations, you have a work spouse. Now find out how to manage your work marriage.

For better and worse

When you work side-by-side, day-in and day-out with someone, you're bound to develop a strong bond. And why shouldn't you? There are tons of benefits both personal and professional to having a good friend next to you on the job. For one, you have built-in emotional support during challenging workdays. And two, when you “get” someone, you're more likely to work more productively together. You know each other's strengths and can build off that. Having a good work friend can really help you. But it can have its drawbacks. For example, other coworkers may misinterpret your close relationship, making it a catalyst for personal and professional disagreements. Plus, it can create issues in your real-life marriage. To avoid strife, stick to these three simple tips.

    Save the drama: Keep conversation airy. Avoid bringing up home problems, and never drag your spouse into the middle of your personal issues.

    Welcome others: Your close relationship may unintentionally be isolating other coworkers. Make a point to invite others into your conversations and you'll avoid rumors and being labeled as a clique.

    Set boundaries: You'll tell each other when your zippers are down, so don't be afraid to tell each other when you need some time apart. Like all married couples, you may love each other, but you still need some breathing space now and then.

Related Content:

Career DevelopmentLeadership & Personal GrowthTechniciansPersonnel Management
Proper praise for a flourishing team environment
Proper praise for a flourishing team environment
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship
AAHA seeks applicants for its board, including for a newly created veterinary technician role
AAHA seeks applicants for its board, including for a newly created veterinary technician role

Advertisement

Latest News

An update on copper concerns in pet foods

Dental hacks to make every case more manageable

Q&A with a keynote: Walter Brown, RVTg, VTS, ECC

News wrap-up: This week’s headlines, plus dvm360® launches its first CE podcast

View More Latest News
Advertisement