# Would You Work For Your Spouse (SO) Knowing What You Know About Them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357 "2011-12-07T06:53:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/1 "2011-12-07T06:53:41Z")
For the sake of this poll a spouse is be broadly defined: married, living together, life partner, significant other, same sex, whatever. So please, no need to pick nits. The real question is … Knowing all that you know about your “spouse,” if said spouse was your boss in the traditional sense of the word, would you feel comfortable working for them? Assume the traditional, employed boss/supervisor-subordinate working relationship. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/2 "2011-12-07T06:57:51Z")
Absolutely! He’d make a great boss. We get along extremely well, and I know just how to talk to him on those rare occasions when he gets a little ornery. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/3 "2011-12-07T07:00:19Z")
No way in hell. She rarely listens to reason now. If she had aurthority over me it could only get worse. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/4 "2011-12-07T11:40:23Z")
Yes ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/5 "2011-12-07T12:35:28Z")
Yes, certainly. In fact when we met she was an important client of mine (in a very senior role in her company) so in a sense I’ve already experienced the dynamic, and she was brilliant - calm, decisive, appreciative, everything you’d want. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/6 "2011-12-07T12:50:04Z")
Yes, of course. Who would voluntarily marry somebody who exhibited the typical “bad boss” personality traits: stupidity, megalomania, favoritism, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/7 "2011-12-07T13:23:04Z")
Hells to the no. At home we are equal partners. Being subservient to him would not be fun, nor would it help our relationship. Besides, much as I love him and as good-hearted as he truly is, he can be a real prick at work. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/8 "2011-12-07T13:32:17Z")
Absolutely! I’d love to work for him. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/9 "2011-12-07T14:07:48Z")
I could either work for him or live with him, but not both on a long-term basis. Not because of any issues with him, mind you–all he asks of an employee is that they have their head out of their ass and be willing to work, and all I ask of a boss is that he have his head out of his ass and give me the occasional feedback that isn’t bitching about some picayune matter. But I just don’t think I could be around someone all day and then all evening too as daily proposition. Short-term it’s fine, like on vacation, but after about a month I’m pretty sure I’d need some space from him. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/10 "2011-12-07T14:15:20Z")
I may actually get a chance to work for him, although it’s still up in the air. It will require me to contain myself a bit - we’re both engineers but we approach it differently. If I do end up working for him, I’ll have to alter my style. I can do it. I think. maybe. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/11 "2011-12-07T14:18:56Z")
Yep, and I do, actually. I hate the job itself, but he’s a good employer. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/12 "2011-12-07T14:19:40Z")
Yeah, he treats people with respect at work and doesn’t tolerate a lot of bullshit, so he’d be a great boss. I don’t seem to get sick of him, either. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/13 "2011-12-07T14:34:18Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Besides, much as I love him and as good-hearted as he truly is, he can be a real prick at work. Exactly. So, no. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/14 "2011-12-07T14:42:40Z")
No. Much as I love her, I wouldn’t have any faith in her making management decisions. She would admit the same herself - but I doubt she would want to work for me either, probably for different reasons! ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/15 "2011-12-07T15:04:20Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Hells to the no. At home we are equal partners. Being subservient to him would not be fun, nor would it help our relationship. This is how I feel, too. We get along great and he’s always been well-respected and liked by people who have worked for him, but it would totally mess up our dynamic if I worked for him. This has actually come up recently - I’m looking for a job and there is an opening at his office. We discussed it and decided that even working in the same office would be weird for us. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/16 "2011-12-07T15:07:10Z")
My wife and I have different work ethics. I would hate for her to learn that I make the big bucks for mostly sitting around and thinking about stuff when she has to work hard all the time. We would not work well together because she would think I’m lazy (which I am, but in a good way I think) for not working the way she does. She would probably try to do both our jobs and then resent me for it. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/17 "2011-12-07T15:14:57Z")
Never. We are both very sucessful at our current jobs but are completely confused at how the other one succeeds since our approaches are so different. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/18 "2011-12-07T15:18:31Z")
No, never in a thousand years. My wife has many, many good qualities, but her attitudes towards working are very different from mine. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/19 "2011-12-07T17:01:32Z")
No, no, no. Absolutely not. The things that make us work very well together at home and in child rearing would be the same things that would make us try to kill each other in a workplace. For example, he’s very direct, sometimes to the point where it’s potentially insulting, while I’m more diplomatic. He’s very negative and complains - a lot. At home those qualities work to some extent. I know where I stand, what he thinks needs to get done and why. His complaining is kind of a private joke because I’m always threatening to buy him a hose and tank top so he can play the neighborhood grumpy old man. However, if I constantly had him giving me work or critiqueing my work, I would kill him. If I critiqued his work, he would argue with me over everything. And I strongly believe in positive leadership. Complaining all the time and pointing out faults on a regular basis unless absolutely necessary isn’t helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357/20 "2011-12-07T17:08:16Z")
No, but more because of me than her. I keep trying to tell her how lazy I am, but it doesn’t impact her at home as much as it would if she were actually supervising me. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-work-for-your-spouse-so-knowing-what-you-know-about-them/605357.md?page=2)