Have you seen these employees? The ones who always sit next to each other at meetings, take frequent lunches together and display the good-natured bickering reminiscent of overly caffeinated morning TV co-hosts? 

Today, CareerBuilder.com released the results of a survey on “work spouses” and listed the top 12 celebrity work couples favored by participants.  Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa topped the list; followed by David Letterman and Paul Shaffer; Jay Leno and Kevin Eubanks; and Meredith Viera and Matt Lauer.  Howard Stern and Robin Quivers rounded out the top five.  (What? No love for Nina Garcia and Michael Kors? Recount!)

The results also showed that 11 percent of the over 6,000 workers surveyed nationwide reported having a “work spouse” – someone to whom they are not married, but feel like they are when at the office.   

Considering this survey, I began wondering if and how these types of relationships affect the workplace.  To me, the term “spouse” indicates that these supposedly platonic bonds blur the line between appropriate and inappropriate workplace behavior.  I was surprised to find, however, that while terms like “work spouse” might have negative connotations, workplace experts believe that the close bonds these colleagues enjoy may actually benefit both them and the company for which they work.   

Blog Her addressed this subject as well, citing Gallup research that suggested that those who have a close friendship at work were more engaged in their jobs.  And an article released earlier this year from MSN supported the idea that the people who enjoy these types of relationships also act as mutual mentors, helping each other understand the company’s culture and unwritten rules, bouncing ideas off each other, and offering advice and emotional support.   

While some even believe that flirtation between co-workers is okay, managers want to be aware of when those employees start to act less like Regis and Kelly and more like Zack and Kelly (…as in Morris and Kapowski, the timeless lovers from “Saved by the Bell“…Anyone?). 

Even when these platonic relationships don’t turn romantic (office romances are often a danger zone), they still have the potential to negatively impact the work environment.  According to CareerBuilder.com’s survey, among the married workers who reported having work spouses, 20 percent reported that their actual spouse or significant other expressed jealousy of their platonic work spouse.  Another 17 percent said they had to compromise something at the office to protect their work spouse.

If work relationships cause stress on employees’ personal relationships, they’re likely to be too preoccupied with their personal troubles to concentrate on work.   Not to mention the potential effects on other co-workers who may feel left out, jealous or bothered by such behavior.

What do you think readers?  Are there workplace marriages in your office? And have you or your employees ever been the product of workplace “divorce”?