"You Two Act Like You're Married" and Other Signs You Have a Work Spouse

If you’re like me, you spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week working in an office. And, if you are like me, chances are, you have made some close friends at work. Better yet, you may fall into the 70 percent of employees across the nation who proudly boast that they have a work spouse.

What exactly is a work spouse?

Simply put, a work spouse is that one person at work of the same or opposite sex that takes the place of your “at home” spouse during your time at work. They’re someone you can talk to, connect to, and relate to with regards to all things work-related.

Obviously, there are clear boundaries, and I’m not talking about a romantic relationship here. It’s completely platonic, and can be as simple as knowing each other’s coffee order or venting about office politics. Either way, they make your day tolerable and just a little bit brighter.

Here’s a look at five signs you might have a work spouse.

They’re the first person you go to when you need to vent

Work can suck sometimes. Whether you are venting about the one co-worker making your life miserable, an update to a company policy or life in general, you have that one person you go to when you need to vent. You know they can keep a secret, and whatever you say is free from judgement and repeating around the office.

You have inside jokes (and more than just a few)

If you have joint nicknames for co-workers that they don’t know about, this could be a sign that you have a work spouse. You laugh a lot together or engage in GIF wars on your company chat platform. Their friendship means the world to you, and you’re usually on the same page or can read each other’s moods with just one look.

When they’re out of the office, your day sucks

You’re so used to having your work spouse around that whenever they call out sick or go on vacation, you feel lost. The day isn’t as exciting, and you find yourself counting down the hours until you leave work for the day. You may even question how you’ll function during the work day knowing you have no one to vent to or go to lunch with to pass time.

You eat lunch together most days of the week

If your other co-workers are starting to whisper about your lunch “dates” with the same person all the time, you probably have a work spouse. It’s easy to get carried away and want to spend your time with this person, even when it’s break time. You just can’t get enough of them, and going to lunch is a great way to hang out without the constraints of the office.

Your co-workers make comments all the time

If your co-workers make comments like, “You two act like you’re married” or “Get a room you two,” you probably have a work spouse. In general, people are observant of the interoffice relationships happening around them. Whether jealous or pointing out the obvious, this is a sure-fire way to know you’ve got a work spouse.

Do you have a work spouse?