Marriage Counsellor and Psychologist Shivani Misri Sadhoo

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND IF YOU WORK WITH YOUR SPOUSE

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THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND IF YOU WORK WITH YOUR SPOUSE

By Relationship and Marriage Counsellor Shivani Misri Sadhoo November 2, 2019

Though dating apps seem to be the way many amongst you might have to meet your partners, it’s definitely not the only way. Before dating apps, plenty of people met through more old-fashioned ways through friends and often while working in the same office. In fact, in spite of the advent of dating apps, meeting people at work is still a popular way of finding a spouse.

It makes better sense, of course. You spend more time with your colleagues than you do with your friends or relatives. You automatically get something in common with them and complaining about colleagues, bosses, and appraisals can be an immediate bonding experience particularly when paired with after-work meetings. There’s only one problem, only. If you meet your partner at work then you will work with your partner. Unless one of you changes jobs, your personal life and your professional life are now deeply interconnected. This means things can get complicated.

“You’re married and you work together. It could be a great experience or a miserable one. How it works is really a function of several factors, including the nature of your jobs, the size of the organization, how frequently you meet or interact during the day, your roles at the workplace, your schedules, your duties at work and at home, and your overall compatibility with each other in a work environment.

In this article, renowned Relationship Expert and Marriage Counselor Shivani Misri Sadhoo talks about things to bear in mind if you work with your spouse.

Ensure Both Of You Follow Professional Protocols

While there is a common myth that says that people working in the same organization are not allowed to date, this is not necessarily true. You may need to talk to your HR and let them know you are in a relationship. And a specific relationship dynamic between an immediate boss and subordinate, for instance—may or may not be allowed. But usually inter-company relationships, particularly between separate departments, is fine. But ensure everyone is aware of the relationship. This is a vital, often missed point. Working in a surrounding where your marriage is a secret is a recipe for disaster, rumors, and speculation. If you are working in an atmosphere that prohibits co-workers from being married, you are working in a lie, and it will have big implications for your job and career. Thus, it needs to be out in the open. Your employer needs to know, so do your co-workers.

Set Some Limits

One way to help things run smoothly is to set rules as quickly as you can. Decide how you want to handle various situations, right from the word go. One needs to figure out some basic questions. “How do you want to interact at work? Does the work culture bother with spouses working together? Do you need to keep a professional distance at work? What do you each want in terms of lunch breaks, and socializing? How do you want to handle domestic disagreements while at work? Generally, setting boundaries that keep home-related problems separate and bloc retribution at work for home-related issues are the most effective way. Dealing with this sooner can save you from problems later.

Limit Office Related Talk At Home

Complaining and discussing work can be exhausting. There’s something delightfully indulgent about cribbing about every annoying thing that happened during the day or about that one co-worker who drives you both insane. But here’s the catch, it could run away with you. It’s not healthy, and it can easily consume your important relationship time. Normally a time restriction and some boundaries about what is discussed and how much is discussed about work while at home is good. A little vent and some support could be useful, but if it’s beginning to bleed into crucial couple-time, then decide to call it quits.

Be Aware Of The Competition

When both of you work for the same company, comparisons cannot be avoided. It’s definitely true if you work in the same department or role, but even if one of you works in operations and the other in HR, there are still ladders to climb your way up and raises to be had or missed out on, so things can quickly become competitive. Make sure that if you feel that feeling growing, you talk to your partner. It could be that you need to talk less about work usually or that you need to address particular issues, like if you feel your partner does not enjoy your success, or if you feel like they do not support your career. If you feel any kind of flicker of jealousy or competition from either of you, ensure to manage it right away before it gets vulnerable.

Know That Something Or Someone May Have To Give

Finally, when many couples work happily together, it does not always work out. Be ready to accept that working together might not work. Be honest with each other about how it is happening, and remember that your marriage and relationship must be more important to both of you than your profession.

When you work with your partner, you need to be more vigilant and more alert, so make sure you are touching base and making sure you are both happy and content with the current setup. 

Relationship and Marriage Counsellor Shivani Misri Sadhoo
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