Work Husbands: Tweet A Description Of Yours With #workhusband

You know who he is: He backs you up in meetings. He emails you non-essential information -- frequently. When he goes the vending machine, he buys for you, too, and at work events, he knows whether you want red or white. He knows your spouse, if you have one, and kids, if you have them. You know his. You have each other’s cell numbers, just in case … of what you’re not sure. He’s your constant companion, but unlike in your relationship outside of work, you don’t have to sleep with him … which doesn’t mean you haven’t thought about it.

A work husband isn’t necessary to your professional success, but having one sure makes the office a lot more … interesting.

Here at HuffPost Women, we’re doing an in-depth study of this special breed of colleague. To help us with our research, tweet the qualities of your work husband @HuffPostWomen using the hashtag #workhusband, and we'll feature your descriptions in the slideshow below. All in the name of science, of course.

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Wine Snob

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@huffpostwomen my #workhusband is a major reason why I have no desire for a #realhusband. #bible.

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Total comments: 26 | Post a Comment

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This Work Husband

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Just Okay Marry Him!

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Work Husband

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Work Husband

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Comments

[Billybladerunner]

05:10 PM on 07/05/2011

This is so stupid....really ...come on ...just another attack on normal moral values ...

you don’t have to sleep with him … which doesn’t mean you haven’t thought about it.

This type of thinking is what lead to the demise of family.....

[SOSTED]

04:31 PM on 07/05/2011

Someone asked Johnny Carson why his divorces where so expensive::::: '???

His reply was " Because they are worth it "

[Mr Anonymous]

11:07 PM on 07/01/2011

I realize as someone who came to this page on purpose I will probably get a lot of flack for saying this, but as a man whose ex-wife cheated on him, all I have to say is why? If you're married be married or don't and get divorced, but don't play games with the whole work-whatever.

[Pmathew]

02:15 PM on 07/01/2011

Tight-shirt wearing, techno listening, chola eating, video game playing, "that's what she said" saying, sexist lasian. #workhusband

[Mr Anonymous]

11:01 PM on 07/01/2011

Chola eating? Why just cholas, why not all women?

[linton]

08:20 AM on 07/01/2011

I do recall having college 'Girlfriends'. Ladies in committed and serious relationships. Interestingly, it is being hard for me to find a 'Work wife/girlfriend' at my work place mostly because most of the ladies I work with never stop talking. Maybe, I might find one on HP!

[Mr Anonymous]

11:01 PM on 07/01/2011

Probably not after that comment.

[fourthestatepost]

08:11 AM on 07/01/2011

Why don't we men tell anecdotes about our #workwives. I had sex with mine. God the stupidity of this article.

[J Zane Barlow]

07:58 AM on 07/01/2011

I don't buy the idea that being close friends at work leads to cheating. What leads to cheating is making the decision to cheat. Its really that simple. For whatever reason you rationalize that you deserve/want/need to sleep with this person more than you want/need to be honest with your spouse/partner. And if you can do that, you are probably either unhappy in your marriage, or the kind of person who shouldn't be married.... staying away from work friends isn't going to change either of those two things. In terms of an "emotional affair", this idea is based there being a limited supply of affection, which from what I can tell there isn't. People are capable of having attentive/loving relationships with many people. If you have proper boundaries, the love of the workhusband is just that, a great work friendship that improves your quality of life.

[TurnSeiki]

02:05 AM on 07/01/2011

Yes. Please all you married women. Tweet how you're having emotional affairs at the office. Liberal news outlets are so wholesome.

[CANTHATBE]

01:58 AM on 07/01/2011

Workhusband? maybe 15 years ago. Today it is more like Survivor Island. Its getting rough out there. Just like in a prison yard you best not turn your back.

[compLA]

12:19 AM on 07/01/2011

These kind of relationships are dangerous. They may seem innocent enough but can get out of control more easily then many realize. My wife ended up having an affair with her "work husband." It almost destroyed our marriage and her career at her company. It was devistating to both of us.

If you are married and are having this kind of relationship with someone (other than your spouse) at work, in my opinion you are not protecting and taking care of your marriage. My advice to any married woman in one of these kind of relationships is to re-establish some professional boundaries and be more careful about potential threats to the core relationship in your life. The potential consequences of not doing so can be unbelievably painful.

[Parade Keegan]

01:30 AM on 07/01/2011

I think in most instances you may be right. Not all of them are. Mine isn't but mine is the only one I'm aware of, I didn't know others did this, see my post below. The thought of sex with my work husband makes me laugh and go yuck. I think we keep each other safe. I work in a business where affairs are second nature for most and I have had numerous men through the years "come at me... hard" and my work husband can and has (without offending anyone or alienating anyone) stepped in and said firmly "stay away from my wife". Everyone laughs but they know he's serious and it ends uncomfortable situations. He's my lifesaver and my wonderful real husband is never threatened by the ridiculousness at work. I'm so grateful.

[Ashish Srivastava]

08:16 AM on 07/01/2011

With utmost empathy to your personal situation, let me offer my perspective. If your wife cheated on you, it was not because she had a "work husband". It is because she is not fully invested in her relationship and not sincere.

Work-husband and work-wives are nothing but fads of pseudo intellectualism. I would be damned if they ever find a place in serious research publications or academic circles.
The "danger" (sarcasm) of living in a world where men and women are free is that they will interact and sometimes (unfortunately) it would lead to things which are outside of the existing moral norms. And as a famous philosopher once said .."shit happens"

[AtlantaBluebelle]

11:56 PM on 06/30/2011

I had a #workhusband at my last job. He always had my back and we always had lunch together. Like @RunCarlyRun above, he's also my #realhusband.

[clearwaterclearmind]

11:37 PM on 06/30/2011

and women wonder why we won't marry them anymore...

[shawondasse]

01:12 PM on 07/01/2011

Baby, everybody knows that men are better off married and women are better off unmarried. Marrying a guy is like taking on a second job.

[clearwaterclearmind]

04:41 PM on 07/01/2011

and marrying a gal is like signing up for a lottery where the prize is losing everything you've ever cared about, except the odds of winning are astronomically higher.

[rangelife]

05:49 AM on 07/02/2011

Some women like to keep repeating ad naseum that men are better off married .. but you never, ever hear any chorus of agreement from any husbands out there, nor do you see thousands of males buying bridal magazines or turning into groomzillas.

On the other hand, there's much agreement among men that divorce is totally toxic for men, as they lose meaningful access to their children and encounter the pleasure of paying alimony etc. Around 50% of marriages fail & 80% of divorces are initiated by women (No surprise there - I wonder, however, how keen they'd be to exit if they retained primary custody of their children in less than 10% of cases & had to keep their ex's in the style they've been accustomed to for the rest of their working lives)

[rockoclock]

11:13 PM on 06/30/2011

Yeesh. Given the way the article's written, shouldn't this be posted in the Divorce section?

[TexasPatriot1776]

10:59 PM on 06/30/2011

this article is very sexist. oh, by the way, I do I get me a work wife?

[Parade Keegan]

10:51 PM on 06/30/2011

OMG! I have a work husband, he declared us work spouses about 10 years ago! It's the most fabulous thing! I thought we were the only ones. Ten years ago he started introducing me as his work wife and it has been so all these years. At work we are each others "wingman" and it really works great!!! I love it. We're both married (1 long time spouse for each), sex has NOTHING to do with it. We work so well together. I love him so much, we've traveled together on business trips, blah, blah. We have so much fun. My husband and his wife are very confident and secure people. My husband appreciates my work husband because I gripe about work, let off steam to my work husband and not my husband. This is funny to find out this is a "thing"!