Wednesday, August 7, 2002

A story published today by the Christian Science Monitor reports that more couples are working together – in shared businesses or as corporate cogs – more often than ever, according to a new study by Cornell University's Employment and Family Careers Institute. In terms of professional success, the results are positive: Co-working partners have more control over schedules and greater commitment to their employers.

And typically, says co-author Stephen Sweet, there's a notable egalitarianism in how they prioritize their jobs. "Co-working couples tend to be less likely to favor the husband's career over that of the wife," he says.

With the workplace increasingly doubling as social venue – a fusion of office, restaurant, gym, and bar – interoffice romance seems inevitable, paving the road to corporate marriage. An American Management Association survey shows that 25 percent of employees have been romantically involved with co-workers.

Many others agree that co-working adds a dynamism of shared purpose. Among the couples in the Cornell study who didn't work together, only 20 percent of wives felt both careers got equal play. In the co-working group, that number more than doubled.

Such equal play rings true with Steve and Margaret Daniels, both district managers for Wal-Mart in upstate New York. Married 30 years and co-workers for 16, they "believe in 50-50 as far as our family goes," says Mrs. Daniels. "There have been times when Steve's needs have been greater, and we may have moved for his career. Now there's times where my needs may be greater. We give and take based on what's come up."

On the down side of co-working, though, there's inevitable spillover between work and home. Mr. Daniels admits he "can't ... say that we are ever not working." At dinner one night, chattering about Wal-Mart, he and Margaret looked up to see their children mimicking them.

For Fort Lauderdale, Fla., chefs Peter and Pamela Babcock, the struggle for fame can indeed create waves in otherwise smooth waters. When Pamela was invited onto chef Emeril Lagasse's trendy cooking show, Peter longed for his own limelight. "It's nice when you see your spouse get ... accolades," he says. "It makes you proud. But in a corporate setting, it can get a little bit competitive."

And then there's conjugal claustrophobia. Michael Friedman, vice president of the Manhattan public-relations firm Linden Alschuler & Kaplan, proposed to co-worker Katharine Gomez after three weeks of courtship. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Gomez found another job.

"It wasn't bad until you had a fight, and then you didn't have a place to stew," recalls Mr. Friedman of the time they spent working in the same 30-person office, desks directly across from each other. "By the time we got home, we were kind of tired of each other."

"Now, you get home, and it's like, 'Oh! You're new. Hello!' It makes home more of a fort from the outside life," he says. "You do have to miss someone for at least eight hours to appreciate them."