Do you have an office spouse?

This was no concern a few years back when the demand of work at the workplace was less. Now often people spend more waking hours in the office than at home. [Image on left courtesy]

Small wonder then it is more convenient to fall in love in office, no matter if you’re already married. For generation next, who have their hearts full of ready love to be exchanged, this is a golden opportunity.

It is comparatively easy too, thanks to screens, to send love message free and fast. All that is needed is to press some buttons – an SMS or an email will soon be on the way.

According to a Feb 2 ABP report, a large recruitment company has found the prevalence of office-love is maximum in Delhi. It did a survey in 500 offices in 7 cities.

The findings reveal that 56% feel women are more proactive in expressing love. 44% feel their eagerness is aimed to make smooth the path up the ladder.

Though 56% say the companies need not bother about such matters, an equal number is also of the opinion that office love distracts attention to work.

Office spouses are however no new entities in the western world. Several companies have clear guidelines on the matter, all directed toward preventing anything that affects productivity of employee.

But then unlike Indian counterparts, the companies there do not ask employees to exert after working hours. Here the opposite is true.

The more you spend time in office the high you’re held in the eyes of the bosses. If that means you’ve fewer hours to yourself, so be it.

In case you’re interested, here is a set of Office Spouse Rules, sourced from WebMD.

If you have an office spouse, staying on the right side of the line is a must, for both your marriage and your career. Here are the rules of engagement:

1. “Don’t share personal information at work, especially information about your marriage,” says Harley. “If someone else starts to share their information with you, let them know you are not interested. It’s very hard to do, but don’t let it get personal. If someone does share personal information with you, tell your spouse about it so you’re not creating your own world at work that your spouse isn’t aware of.”
2. If you do get personal, be careful how you categorize your marriage. “If you are not getting along with your husband, and there is someone at the office who does care for you, and you tell them that, then you’re off and running,” says Harley. “If you say, ‘I am crazy about my husband and we love each other so much,’ the other person is less likely to invest time or emotion into the relationship.”
3. “Don’t be alone with a person of the opposite sex separate from your job,” says Harley. “For example, don’t carpool one-on-one, don’t engage in recreational activities after work, or if you have to travel for work with one person, bring your spouse. Romantic relationships develop out of recreational activities and intimate conversations — those are the two major hooks.”
4. “Don’t drink with your office spouse,” says Jenn Berman, PhD, a psychologist in Beverly Hills, Calif., who specializes in marriages and families. “There’s a strict no alcohol rule with the office spouse, because when you drink the lines get blurred.”
5. “Introduce your real spouse to your office spouse,” Berman tells WebMD. “Go out to dinner with your office spouse and his or her significant other, and yours. Make your real spouse included in the relationship so it doesn’t feel exclusive.”
6. “Avoid constantly talking about your office spouse at home,” says Berman. “Your real spouse should know about your office spouse, but don’t overdo it.”