There could be many reasons you are working in the same company as your boyfriend or girlfriend, but is it the right thing to do? Should you be working together, or is it going to place strain on the relationship? Is it even legal, and what happens if something goes wrong?
A girlfriend and boyfriend can work together in a business if it’s allowed by the company concerned. If the couple is mature enough to handle the responsibility of working in the same office environment daily, it should work! Relationships can grow stronger and thrive when a couple works together.
Can a girlfriend and boyfriend work together and still have a flourishing, satisfying relationship? By setting some ground rules, you can enjoy a close relationship in the office while doing the job that you are paid to do. In addition, by discussing problems before they arise, your relationship should not significantly impact your work-life.
Can Girlfriend And Boyfriend Work Together?
The short and speedy answer to this question is, it depends! For some couples, being in the same space together is a dream come true, while for others, absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder!
Legally, no hard and fast law prevents couples from working together. Still, each company has its own rules on the matter, generally because of relationship issues the company has faced with its employees.
If you work in the same office with your significant other every day, it could be worth your while to come up with some working rules for while you are at the office. This will allow both of you the freedom to get the job done without placing any unpleasant restrictions on the other partner.
What Is It Like To Work With Your Partner?
Woking in the same workspace as your partner can be challenging but can also be a wonderful experience! Getting to see your loved one all day can put a spring in your step and make your heart happy! Sharing the experiences of the day can make your relationship stronger.
But what happens if your partner spends more time with his co-workers than with you? Is your relationship strong enough to handle the separation? Are you the jealous type who cannot stand to see your partner talking and laughing with a colleague?
You are being paid to do a job in the work environment, so what happens if work comes before your relationship in the office? This is why you need a working set of relationship rules to tackle these issues before they get out of hand!
Many issues crop up depending on the environment that you are working in. For example, suppose you are self-employed and in business together with your partner and living together. In that case, the problems that arise could be based on always being together rather than one partner being ignored in the workplace.
While it does take a lot of extra effort to work with your partner, it’s all in how you conduct yourself and your relationship.
Positives Of Working Together
If you have decided that your relationship will survive both of you working together daily, good for you! There are many incredible advantages of working with your better half all day. Let’s have a look at what some of these positives are.
- Stress management is better. Work-linked couples can handle every stress better as they have their partner’s support in the workplace which helps them to cope better with stressful moments during the working day. In addition, being able to talk about problems that the other understands helps to alleviate difficult situations.
- Less chance of burnout. Couples who work together have found a way to integrate their personal lives and their work lives, reducing the stress of managing separate lives and avoiding burnout.
- More engaged in the workplace. By working in the same environment, couples share the load for their home life without all the daily duties being managed by one partner. Being able to engage in each other’s lives all the time prevents distance between the couple and encourages them to participate in each other’s lives actively and share the load.
- Sharing common goals. Knowing that you are both working towards a common goal at work and at home creates a happy home with a shared vision!
Negatives Of Working Together
Unfortunately, for some, working with your partner is not a bed of roses. Here are some problems which could happen when you work with your partner.
- Romance isn’t alive. Often problems at home can spill over into the workplace. Break-ups and divorces can become even more problematic for those who work together and interfere with their jobs and cause conflict with colleagues who feel that they have to choose sides.
- Less career advancement for women. This is a controversial topic, but studies show that women who co-founded a business with their partner tend to become less independent than women who pursue a separate career.
- Office politics. If one person is senior and the other isn’t, tension could arise in the workplace between the couple concerned and colleagues. Often the perception from colleagues is that the junior staff member is receiving favors from the senior colleague.
- Spending a lot more time together. Some couples find it challenging to maintain a separate identity from each other. For some, it might be easy to spend all their time with their partner, whereas for others, they may need some alone time.
How To Work Together And Stay Together
Starting a brand new business venture or a new job is generally stressful on its own, but when your partner joins you in the venture or at the office, it opens up a whole new world of excitement! This is where your relationship is tested, and if you do have any issues, they will come out!
When you are going through testing times, try these ideas to help you both cope without jeopardizing your relationship.
- Don’t blame each other when problems occur. No road is smooth and without any bumps. Some days will be good and productive, while there will be days when you can’t stand the sight of each other! Take each brand new day as it comes, and remember that you are incredibly important to each other!
- Communicate and listen to each other. You both need to work hard at making the marriage and the working relationship work. Always take the time out to stop and listen to each other’s opinions and sometimes agree to disagree.
- Make couples time. Try and separate your home and work lives by going on regular dates away from the office and the home. Even a stroll around the block can do wonders for your relationship!
- Respect each other, and don’t sweat the small stuff! Remember what is important to both of you, and make the business work! Understand one another’s strengths and weaknesses at work and home.
- Consult each other. Each of you has their own area of expertise. Defer to the one who knows what they are talking about!
- Schedule me time. Respect each other’s needs and allow each other space when it’s needed, even if one of you needs to relax with a good book while the other cook’s dinner!
Conclusion
The only way for a successful working relationship to happen between a couple is for a set of rules to be agreed upon and implemented by both partners! Therefore, both partners should always agree upon these rules in the relationship to avoid further arguments down the line.
Working with each other and living together can be an incredible experience if you both work at making it happen. Respect and communication are needed to make any healthy relationship work, and even more so when you are working together! When living and working with your partner, you will get to know them well, so make sure that you are making the right decision before taking the next big step of spending all day in each other’s company!
