How to Keep Boundaries With a Work Spouse by Dr Phil l Work Spouse Rules l Work Spouse Quiz l In Love With My Work Spouse l Rules for the Work Place l Work Place Etiquette l Office Rules

Dr. Phil McGraw, perhaps the most well-known mental health professional in the world, is the host of the #1 daytime talk show, 'Dr. Phil'.

"The work spouse" is a popular term cropping up to define a platonic relationship with a co-worker. This type of relationship is on the rise, as American's work longer hours in close quarters with the opposite sex. In many ways, these relationships can mirror a real marriage. According to Vault.com, out of 693 people surveyed in a variety of industries, 32 percent say they have, or have had, a work spouse. Should you commit? What you should know before you say "I do" at work.

These relationships start out due to proximity, but oftentimes they continue for a variety of reasons, from providing an emotional support system during challenging times, to bouncing off work ideas, getting advice, releasing work-related stress, sharing inside jokes and understanding frustrations with a boss or internal politics. Research even shows that employees will devote more to their work, and go the extra mile, if they have close ties on the job. Work spouses will also complement one other in skill and ability in the workplace, making a successful and productive team. Although these relationships aren't intimate, there is an intimacy, and a thin line, that when crossed, can go from friendship to adultery.

"How do affairs start?" Williard F. Harley Jr. PhD, president of Marriage Builders asks. "They start as friendships." So, is it worth it? And, how do you avoid crossing that line from friends to the unforgivable? Like anything, there has to be rules.