Marital Infidelity: Office Romance Takes Flight
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Long work hours which occur with alarming regularity are regarded as one of the classic signs of a cheating spouse. What makes it so hard to pin down however is that in this day and age with money being too tight to mention, it is at times an absolute necessity to put in overtime, go in on weekends or even your day off. Most families just to make ends meet require that both spouses work.
But whether good times or bad, the office has always been one of the prime meeting places for singles and married alike. In his article, “The Ugly Side of Office Relationships”, Francis K. Githinji writes, “An office is always a fertile ground for working colleagues to hit it off in a relationship. It is a place where you are bound to meet new people who will always be within your proximity.”
Proximity is the key word here. If familiarity breeds contempt, it can also give rise to enticement. The majority of spouses that cheat on their partner do not consciously take a job in the hopes of having an extramarital affair but it happens anyway. Working closely with someone allows you to observe them under a whole host of circumstances. How they react to high pressure situations, how they communicate and treat others, their attitude and professionalism toward their job and well as other factors.
A coworker will also see that person when they are relaxed and more than likely will also be exposed to that person’s sense of humor. That goes a long way to forging a bond. It many ways a good sense of humor is allowing people into your world. If a spouse and one of the co workers have the same sense of humor, than the connection becomes that much closer.
A few generations ago office romances were not only frowned upon but actively discouraged. That of course didn’t stop them from taking place. Now it seems the work environment has changed one hundred eighty degrees. In a CNN study done earlier this year forty percent acknowledged that they have had an office romance at one time or another. The astounding part of this survey was that sixty six percent felt there was no need to hide the relationship.
Unless they want a divorce, it’s practically a given that a cheating spouse will not come forward and declare publicly their extra marital affair. But in some ways they don’t have to. The old saying “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” can also apply to the office. Every work environment has a unique culture of its own with different levels of loyalty. Many coworkers may know what’s going on but they don’t feel it is anybody’s concern; including the offended parties. The motto whether spoken or not is if you don’t work here, then it’s none of your business. In other words their first loyalty is toward their coworker.
The majority of spouses go to work to work. They maintain their professionalism and save intimacy exclusively for their marriage. They also take seriously their wedding vows as well as the trust they have in themselves and their partner. Unfortunately for many others, the temptation is too great to resist. Being around someone they find physically and emotionally attractive 8 plus hours a day for 5 days out of the week puts their significant other at an unfair advantage.
