In this episode, we explore the complexities of work relationships and how they can become an issue in our lives. With work taking up a large portion of our time, it's important to understand how to navigate these relationships and maintain a healthy work-life balance. We also discuss the unique challenges and rewards of working in the restaurant industry, where the fast-paced environment and close quarters can make for intense relationships with coworkers. And what about working with your partner? We hear from couples who have successfully managed to work together without letting it strain their relationship. Join us as we spill the tea on the world of work relationships and learn how to handle the challenges they bring.

The Line Between Relationships and Coworkers

We begin our episode by exploring the dos and don’ts of maintaining work relationships while being in an external, romantic relationship with your significant other. Where is the line drawn between business and personal, and should this line be crossed at all? It is important to set and maintain boundaries between your partner to ensure that things don’t get messy, but it is truly up to you and your partner what constitutes as healthy or havoc. Some even say you shouldn’t get involved with your coworkers as it may pose an HR issue. Especially when there is a power imbalance between the coworkers in question, these relationships can quickly turn into sticky situations.

But now we must ask ourselves: why do these relationships form in the first place? For many, the workplace becomes a central location in our day-to-day lives, and we may even spend more time with our co-workers than our own families. Naturally, we gravitate towards those relationships as we share common struggles and experiences. Of course friendships are inevitable, but when they are taken a step further, things may not turn out the way you may have hoped.

Restaurant Industry Relationships

When it comes to crossing the friendship line in work relationships, the restaurant industry plays a large role in facilitating these connections. Working in restaurants is certainly not for the faint of heart, and stress levels can soar high. Many times, the way you act, dress, and come across can be nitpicked constantly by higher-ups or customers. In return, the stress of maintaining this image – all while trying to keep up with a fast-paced, unforgiving workload – can lead to a need to vent and take out frustrations. Since your coworkers are often easily accessible figures who can relate to your struggles, they become the ones who offer a shoulder to cry on. But, in many cases, the line between friendship and infatuation becomes blurred.

Can we truly ever be able to work with our significant others? On rare occasions, these relationships can be maintained and work productively. But, more often than not, there can be catastrophic consequences to mixing business and personal. Working with your significant other can lead to bringing the stresses of the day home, without an unbiased opinion that looks at these struggles objectively. Slowly, the relationship becomes one that only discusses the intricacies of the workplace, and we can fall victim to neglecting deeper connections outside of work matters. This can disrupt a healthy work-life balance, and breaks apart relationships when a “Who has it worse?” mentality becomes established.

Tune into this episode as we explore the challenges of workplace relationships and how to properly navigate the line between business and personal lives.

Work Relationships & How To Navigate Them