An office party just isn’t complete without a little drama or a juicy bit of gossip to fuel the break room chatter for weeks to come. And this Redditor’s workplace Halloween celebration ended up causing quite a stir.
When she learned that her coworkers, the unofficial “work husband” and “work wife,” planned to show up in matching costumes, she gave them a heads-up that his actual wife might not love the idea. But the pair saw no issue with their choice and stuck to it.
Turns out, they probably should’ve listened to her.
A woman warned her coworkers, dubbed the office’s “work husband and wife,” that their matching Halloween costumes might not be the best idea
The pair brushed off her concerns, only to find out the hard way that she had a point
The term “work spouse” originally described a working relationship between two men, but its meaning has changed quite a bit over the years
We spend a good chunk of our lives at work, often seeing the same faces for eight hours a day, five days a week. Sooner or later, we’re bound to find a few coworkers we really click with, and some might even become good friends.
After all, having someone to grab lunch with or exchange knowing looks with during yet another endless meeting makes the daily grind a little more bearable. And sometimes, people get so close that they start calling each other their “work wife” or “work husband.”
As it turns out, this is a pretty common thing. According to a 2024 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 34% of American workers reported having a so-called work spouse. And while the term might sound like modern office slang, it has a surprisingly long history.
The expression “office wife” appears to date back to the 19th century, when former UK Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone used it to describe the strong working relationship between a minister and his secretary, who, interestingly enough, was a man.
Over time, however, the term became associated with female secretaries who handled their bosses’ personal affairs, much like their wives did at home.
By the late 1980s, though, its meaning had started to change. The nickname increasingly referred to friendships between coworkers who supported each other and worked particularly well together. Eventually, it also came to describe relationships between people of any gender.
And while many people see it as harmless fun, one survey found that nearly half of those with a “work wife” or “work husband” had developed romantic feelings for them
Still, that doesn’t mean the nickname has lost all its romantic connotations. The words “husband” and “wife,” by their very nature, suggest a certain level of intimacy. They also carry a sense of commitment and exclusivity that we don’t typically associate with friendships.
In fact, the same SHRM survey found that 43% of workers who had a work spouse admitted to having romantic feelings for that person. Another 45% said they felt the need to hide the relationship from their significant other or someone they were dating.
With numbers like these, it’s no wonder that some people might raise an eyebrow at the mention of a “work husband” or “work wife.” And if one or both coworkers already have a partner at home, things can get especially awkward. Nobody wants to find themselves in a real-life Jim, Pam, and Roy situation from The Office.
In this particular story, neither coworker actually referred to the other as a work spouse. Their colleagues were the ones who gave them those nicknames.
Nevertheless, when the pair decided to dress up as a TV duo with a relationship that fans often interpret as romantic, the man’s wife wasn’t exactly thrilled. What they saw as a fun Halloween costume clearly struck a nerve with her.
Now, John has agreed to establish clearer boundaries with Lucy, while she hopes to apologize to his wife. What do you think? Was their costume choice a little too much, or did his wife make a bigger deal out of it than necessary? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The woman shared more details about the situation in the comments
Readers agreed that she wasn’t to blame for how things played out
While some felt that the man’s wife had overreacted in the first place
