‘What kind of job excludes the wives?’: Workplace’s ‘no-spouse’ holiday party sparks debate

What kind of business explicitly states that spouses aren't allowed to the company holiday party? The type of place that's trying to let work wives and work husbands do their thing, according to TikTokers who saw one peeved woman's recent post.

Neomi (@neomivibes) uploaded a series of viral clips garnering millions of views where she calls out her husband for attending a "no spouse" company holiday party. She received a slew of comments from folks calling out the practice and speculating that there may have been something going on at his company that he didn't want her to know about.

"What's so important about this holiday work party (no spouses)," Neomi writes in a text overlay of the video as she records her husband checking himself out in the mirror as he adjusts his collar, followed by a couple of sprays of cologne on his neck. The camera then cuts to Neomi looking suspiciously off-camera and then back to the direction of where her significant other is preparing himself for the night's festivities.

He then walks out of the bathroom rocking a Double G Gucci belt with his shirt tucked into it. He smiles at Neomi before the video ultimately cuts out.

A caption for the clip reveals just how Neomi feels about the no-spouse holiday party: "Count ya mf days.. what kind of job excludes the wives?"

Commenters offered up all types of speculation as to why she wasn't invited to the party. More than a few thought that her significant other had a "work wife" that he didn't want her to know about. Others urged Neomi to show up to the party anyway "unannounced" to suss out the situation and see what was going on for herself.

Someone else said that while they could understand a company lunch without spouses, a holiday party didn't seem to make sense to them. "I understand a lunch but an actual party?! I need to find out if there’s a work wife now," they wrote.

One TikToker tried to be the voice of reason in the situation, stating that their job, too, implemented a no-spouse rule. The reason? Folks apparently couldn't keep their domestic bickering to themselves. "My job had no spouses. I asked why. They said they used to allow spouses. But then the home spouse and work spouse would meet and there would be fights," they revealed.

Some said that while their partners worked at places that threw no-spouse holiday parties, their hubbies weren't exactly keen on going.

"My husband when there’s a work party- 'why would I want to go hang out with them after spending all week with them,'" one person wrote.

Another said, "My husband declined his invitation because it was no spouses."

@neomivibes count ya mf days.. what kind of job excludes the wives ???????? #foryou ♬ Salgo Pa' la Calle - Daddy Yankee

Folks who saw her clip were dying to know what happened as a result of her husband's decision to attend the holiday party. Did she crash it like they said? Did she drug him with a bunch of melatonin, forcing him to want to stay home instead of going out with his co-workers?

She uploaded a follow-up clip showing the aftermath of his holiday celebration, writing in a caption that he ended up breaking his 11 pm "curfew" time as he came home at "2:65 am".

In the video, she records herself walking through the hallway of their living complex until she finally makes it outdoors and stops at a car, which shows her husband fast asleep in it. He slaps his arm to wake him up before the clip ends, showing that he ended up in the #doghouse after arriving home later than he was supposed to.

While Neomi seems to be turning her husband's evening out into a joke, several people wrote that if he wanted to spend time with Neomi rather than his work friends, he could've easily just "popped in" to the party for an hour and then gone out with her.

Others echoed the sentiment that a "no spouse party" was strange for any company to implement, given how much time workers spend at their respective vocations already. "I think it’s weird to have no spouses. They already get them 40+ hours during the week..my husbands boss invites spouses and gets us gifts," one user wrote.

@neomivibes Curfew was 11pm home boy got home at 2:65 am ???? #doghouse #foryou #holidayworkparty #workparty #holidayworkevent #workwife ♬ original sound - Neomi

While 45% of surveyed folks who were questioned about the ethics of having a "work spouse" while in a relationship find the practice to be inappropriate, it doesn't seem to stop folks from having a work wife or husband. The Society for Human Resource Management wrote that a quarter of all employees have had or currently have a work spouse. And while some call these on-the-job friendships entirely platonic, it's not difficult to imagine the lines will get crossed somewhere.

Forbes provided some statistics about people getting it on with their co-workers and the numbers indicate some people share more than just their payroll provider when they're working at the same business. The outlet wrote that in a survey on office relationships: 46% admitted to having romantic feelings for a work colleague, 39% outright admitted to having a "secret romance," and 17% have had one-night stands with one of their co-workers. Forbes also reported that 85% of all extra-marital affairs start at a person's job.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Neomi via TikTok comment for further information.

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