I go to work with my husband, we usually drive together and I have learned to read one paper on the way into work and another on the way home. This way I don’t have to get an annoying adrenaline rush as the car in front of us breaks and dear hubby is only 4 inches from their bumper- OK it’s really 12 inches away…We also eat lunch together (which he has prepared for us in the morning) 🙂 Yes he is a keeper! We have been married for 28 years. He will drop me off and give me a kiss which some folks make pleasant comments about-my reply is that we are in “like” with each other. We have walked together down the street to a rally at the capitol building 8 blocks away, holding hands-comments such as that really warms my heart to see you two together like that are constant. working in a program that he started out in means I have lots of friends at work with whom I am comfortable in asking help when-beyond my supervisor- I have problem solving to do. I find it convenient ( ie: “Can you get me the cell phone charger? or Do you have $5 for the…?”) and rather nice all in all.
Some folks who work in the same building as their spouse in the Department say if they saw each other at lunch or even drove together they would be in serious trouble. Which side are you on in your observations of married couples in the work place? Do you work with or near your spouse? Are you “in like” with each other or just “in love”?
It’s really not that bad. My DH works for our tenant organization. It works out great for us, as we are on the “same” schedule. We are encouraged to “car pool” and this makes it easier. We both work in semi-industrial career fields so there is a commonality there. He doesn’t have access to email and if I needed something from him, “which is rare”, I would call or email his supervisor who is a great guy. My DH and I know each others co-workers and often socialize with each other after work hours. I have been to functions at his work place and he has been to mine. I don’t see it as a problem, unless they are working side by side in the same office. I would think they would get tired of each other. Yes, they see the smooches when I drop my husband off at his building. No big deal. I would say “in love” after 30 yrs. We do shop talk, as in, “how was your day” type thing. We know most of what we are talking about as we are blue collar people to the core. Maybe it’s the atmosphere in “an office”…….that could be troublesome for the “some folks” you referred to. I would say the ratio is about 80% blue collar and 20% white collar, judging from final whistle at the end of the day as folks walk to their cars, lot’s of blue jeans, tshirts, flannel shirts, jean jackets, steel toe shoes, lunch boxes, et al. There are a few skirts/blouses/heels and khaki/polos. For me, it’s an advantage, especially gas wise.
Over my 40 year career with the government, I have been fortunate enough to work in the same office/agency as my significant other probably 3 or 4 years. NOT directly related to working together but… Since my wife retired about 10 years ago and I went to the telework mode, where I worked at home for anywhere between 20 to 40 hours a week. We have truly been in the “same office”. Adjustments have been made (separate computer systems, only talk shop during specific times of the day, spouse has become active in functions that take her out of the “home/office” 3 or 4 times a week(Toastmasters, Genealogy, Computer user groups, Red Hat Society etc.)
Only worked with DH once in career and that was while in military, His office was in same building for first 2 months (we were in Korea so walked to work). At same time, we were waiting for quarters so living in hotel room. Was a tad too much togetherness for us – we wound up bringing the people part of work back to the hotel – rest of stuff could not talk about outside of office. Once we got into housing that had more than one room, things were much much better LOL
Our offices are right next to each other, but it works because we each came to the table with our own businesses. We take separate cars due to differing schedules and travel requirements. We support each other’s work, but don’t get deeply involved in the day to day logistics. Overall we aren’t around each other a whole lot during the work day and we both like that. For us it isn’t about strength of relationship, but focus. At work it is about work.
I think part of the reason why I am married to the guy I married, gosh for some 20 years, is because he understood the weird and sometimes unpredictable hours that a journalist/broadcaster keeps. When I changed careers he understood it was for the best. When I went out as a sole proprietor/contractor I started working full time out of my home office. He has the downstairs one–I’ve got a converted bedroom one, aka–the upstairs home office. There are times when a communicator doesn’t really stop thinking about work. It’s just a few yards away from the kitchen, or a few steps away from the laundry room. And, because I work with people in all time zones, there are times when he’s gone to bed, and I’m counseling somebody, just on the other side of the wall, about how they should deal with a particular interview.
I do have my “other interests” that gets me out of the house and engaged in face to face communications with people other than my husband and pets. Just like office workers need to take a break, and walk around the block, or face getting “cabin fever,” those who telecommute need to get up from their work spaces and take a break to keep from going berserk.
As for being “in like” with or “in love” with Mr. Gorgeous, aka-my husband…..well, yes. Both. But, if my work situation meant that I’d have to leave my upstairs home office, I’d do it too. Because, yes, I’m “in like” and “in love.” And while the Beatles wrote that money can’t buy you love—money does help provide stuff for your love.
Would I commute with him? Have and would…especially during snowy days. He’s a native Washingtonian and I went to school in Buffalo and the first part of my working life in upstate NY. Care to guess who drives?
My husband & and I both work at the FAA – a few floors apart. It is very convenient to carpool to the metro, ride in together, and be so close. At the same time, we can go an entire day in the office without seeing each other. It’s kind of a perfect world – when we need each other, we can be there – but it’s not like we are on top of each other either. We occassionally enjoy lunch together and often pop in to say hi. But mostly, we have our space. We just celebrated our 12 year anniversary together and have been working together for over 2 years now – no complaints on either front! It works really well for us.
So it seems that many partners who work with or near each other seem to do well being “closer” since they work in fairly close quarters or buildings. Thank you all for putting your 2 cents into the bag. I wonder about any “bad” or negative situations out there- how those folks handled it (or didn’t). Any stories?