Working with your spouse can be bliss or a nightmare, depending on how you approach the endeavor. On the one hand, the burdens of your job can be lightened by the daily sight of the one you love. On the other hand, a relational souring in either realm can leave you trying to avoid each other not only at home but in the office, too. As you cross the threshold from spouse to colleague, here are some potential drawbacks and solutions to consider.
Merits of Husband and Wife Working Together.
Quality time that you need to spend with your partner to make the family life successful remains a dream for many city dwellers. This is because, in many cities, both the partners are working and the couple barely gets time with each other. This is one problem that can be solved when both partners work in the same organization. There are however several other benefits when both the partners work in the same organization. Here we have listed a few of the major benefits.
Opportunity to spend a lot of time together.
When two people marry, they take a vow to be together for the rest of their lives. For some couples both of whom are working professionals sharing the same workplace provides the perfect opportunity to strengthen ties between them. As a result, they are around each other throughout the day, both at home as well as in office. As a result, cooperation between them increases.
Special Benefits By Certain Firms.
Some multinational companies offer special benefits to couples who work in their organization. There are even firms that award a huge amount to the couple of both husband and wife belong to the firm. Only husband and wife who belong to the same firm enjoy such benefits.
Easy commutation.
Couples who work in the same office can travel to and forth from home on a daily basis. This is most suitable for professionals who are associated with a large company and do not get time to meet each other despite working in the same office. Commuting together provides couples with the opportunity to talk to each other on issues, which are not related to their family life.
Planning days off together.
One of the major plus points of working in the same office for couples is that they get the opportunity to share holidays or work off days together. Therefore, they can plan holiday trips, family events etc. since there is no conflict in their schedules.
Time with the family makes a great difference in the bonding between husband and wife. It also helps children develop the sense of having a great family. This family can help the child have a sound childhood.
Similar Interests
When a couple works for the same company, they are not likely to fall in a situation in which one of them shows an apparent disinterest about the other’s job. Both of them will have a clear perception about what the other has in terms of experience and knowledge. A common link like this also helps the couple to have great honour and respect for each other. It is quite possible that both joined the firm or organization because they possess the same skill sets or interest. This common aspect may help to develop better bonding and understanding that lays the foundation for a good future.
Greater dedication towards work
When a couple works in the same office, they put in a significant amount of their time and energy into each other’s work than what they would do otherwise. They contribute to the growth of their respective careers and are able to help each other, both at professional as well as personal level.
A common company also means that the couple share the same level of loyalty towards the firm or organization. This loyalty will help them have ambitions and goals for the firm as an employee. This could be a major factor that help both of them grow and succeed.
Mutual respect as a couple.
People who have been married over a long period of time and have worked in the same office over a couple of years respect the contributions of their spouse, both at the office and home in a better way than couples who don’t.
This is because they are aware of several aspects of a partner’s character that can be assessed only while working together. For instance, it is not possible to know whether your partner possesses work ethics or enjoys earning money through fraudulent means unless you do not work together. A few meetings or chance dates do not help to understand or assess whether your partner is a person of great principles. It is possible to understand these factors when you work in the same firm.
Better understanding.
Couples who have worked together over a couple of years in the same organization and in some cases within the same department get the opportunity to know and understand each other in a better way as compared to others. Therefore, they are likely to have a better sense of adjustment as compared to those who don’t. It helps to cement their ties in a better manner and rather than arguing, they try to set each other’s priorities right. They can thus balance their personal and professional lives in a better way.
Disadvantages of Husband and Wife Working Together.
While there are some benefits, there are some drawbacks too when both partners work in the same firm. These are often reasons why couples prefer to work in different organizations. Here we have listed down a few of the major reasons for your knowledge and reference.
Lack of job security.
Another major issue that married couples working in the same organization face is the lack of security at their workplace. There are often instances when a company goes out of business, and in such a situation, both may be rendered unemployed. Dealing with crisis situations will be a difficult phase and needs to be taken into consideration before deciding to work in the same organization.
Little change in daily schedules.
For some couples, who spend a major part of their time both at home and office together sharing the same experience together on a daily basis becomes mundane. There are situations when both of them may lack the interest to discuss how their day went. So, they will have little to talk about once they return home.
Sometimes work life can be a great topic for discussion among partners but this is not possible if both work in the same firm. If both the partners do not share any other interests apart from their professional skills, killing the monotony can be quite challenging.
Lack of personal space.
Occasionally, the lack of personal space strains the relation between the husband and wife as they meet each other both at home as well as the office. Though a married couple should spend their free time together, yet there are situations in which spending too much time with each other can adversely impact the quality of time spent. Quantity and quality always do not go hand in hand.
Arousal of jealousy.
If one of the spouses is promoted while the other is neglected, then this could ruin their married life. Though most organizations do not allow a person to supervise their spouse, the promotion of one to a higher position as compared to the other person’s career can lead to conflicts within their married life if the other partner feels jealous.
Conflicts at the workplace.
When colleagues at the workplace have a disagreement and it continues at their home, this could strain their personal relationship to a great extent. It might be due to the differences in views on a project that the couple is working on. Couples who have an argument at work can also clash at home, though their personal and professional lives are completely different. If a husband and wife fail to separate their work and family life, then their marriage may eventually break down.
Power struggles.
If a couple works in the same department within an organization, they may tend to compete with each other. The success of one may arouse the envy of the other as the person is getting lesser attention from the boss. This may cause a bad effect on the marriage.
Difficulty to plan leaves simultaneously.
While working within the same organization as your spouse, you may find it really difficult to take leaves at the same time. For instance, planning vacations together may prove very challenging as your organization may not allow both employees to be on leave simultaneously. This is possible especially if you are both in the same department.
Couples need to make their choices after assessing the pros and cons. They can even take steps to fight the drawbacks. Here are some ideal steps that can help couples fight the drawbacks of working in the same firm or organization:
- Couples should have an annual savings plan. They need to set out a fixed amount for future needs.
- They need to be wise enough to enjoy each other’s success. They can keep professional jealousy at bay by regarding each other as a family and not as individuals.
- They can foster separate skills and interests that they can pursue during their spare time together.