Dive Brief:
- A new Captivate Office Pulse survey found that 70% of employees said they have a “work spouse,” a coworker with whom they regularly communicate and confide. The survey shows that, with less personal interaction in the workplace because of technology and telecommuting, work spouses have risen 5% since 2010.
- Among white collar workers, those polled said their work spouse contributes to their happiness on the job. But the poll also revealed that some workers (7% surveyed) admitted to having “crossed the line” in their relationship with their work spouse.
- Work spouses are typically of the opposite gender; 93% of men and 77% of women have a work spouse. Most work spouses are peers, but for 8% of those in the survey, the office confidante is a supervisor or manager. Looking at generational differences, 40% of baby boomers and 28% of millennials have never had a work spouse.
Dive Insight:
HR pros might need to monitor work-spouse partnerships depending on their company’s policies on office relationships.
Some companies used to discourage openly involved couples — even married people — from working in the same department. The concerns were the appearance of nepotism and possible disruptions in productivity.
HR’s most serious concern is a personal relationship between managers and subordinates. Claims of sexual harassment have surfaced after a contentious break up between two workers of unequal status.
