There’s always one in every workplace: the person you gravitate towards and forge a close bond with. It might be a loose friendship that evolves until one day you realise that the intimate, platonic relationship you have is an important aspect of why you come to work every day.

Depending on their gender, the colloquial term for this is a “work wife” or “work husband”, a clumsy attempt to summarise a supportive relationship that crudely resembles a marriage. The reason for the spousal tag is that it often includes emotional support, honesty and loyalty.

A “work wife” or “work husband” can be someone who makes the daily monotony of your nine-to-five that much more bearable.

But before we get any further, we do need to address the gendered elephant in the room. When used the wrong way, terms like “work wife” can reinforce inherent sexism where the marriage metaphor can imply traditional gender roles and expectations. But in most cases, it’s used with the lighter interpretation that’s intended, where a spouse is an equal member of a partnership.

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© The Sydney Morning Herald