The ability to work from home can make a usual 9 to 5 job easier, but it complicates things too, especially if spouses or children are also at home during the workday.
One wife took to Reddit to find out if she’s in the wrong after she purchased a lock for her office to prevent her husband’s constant disruptions.
Working From Home
The wife and her husband have been married for 10 years and together they have two children. She explains that her husband is currently unemployed, but she recently started working from her home office for five hours a day. She adds that her work normally features a lot of video calls to discuss group projects.
There’s an unspoken rule of respecting a person’s right to privacy and quiet when working from home, but apparently, her husband didn’t get the memo.
Frequent Interruptions
“[The] thing is my husband would constantly barge into my office and interrupt my work over simple requests he could get done himself.”
She explains that from asking her to fix an issue with a home appliance, watching the kids while he takes a shower, or sending the kids into her office to brush their hair, she’s constantly subjected to frequent interruptions.
Workplace Warnings
The wife says that she’s repeatedly discussed with her husband how the interruptions disturb her productivity and because she already does the household chores while she’s not busy working, her five hours of privacy at her job should be respected. But, this often falls on deaf ears.
“He'd apologize and say he didn't know then do it again and say it was spontaneously.”
Reaching A Boiling Point
The wife explains that things reached a boiling point when—during an important meeting—her husband barged into her office unannounced and asked her to “fix his tie because he was going out later.”
She explains that the incident was “horrible in front of my colleagues and superiors.”
Lock Him Out
Fed up with the constant interruptions and repeated disrespect, the wife purchased a lock for her office and installed it. But when the husband came home and noticed it, he was shocked.
She says that he asked her what the lock was for and she explained that due to his disruptions, this was the only way to achieve any peace and quiet so she could do her job.
The Husband's Response
After the husband sent their children to their rooms, he argued by saying, "I can't believe you wanna act like the kids and I are not even here and lock us out like that."
She countered back, saying, “I didn't appreciate how [you] disrespected my boundaries and thought the lock is the solution after I've exhausted all options.”
Am I The Jerk?
The husband explained how hurt he felt seeing a lock on his wife’s office door and asked her to "imagine how the kids are going to feel when they see it."
She ends her story by saying her husband continued to voice his displeasure with the lock and that it was a poor solution, demanding that she remove it, but she refused. She then asks Reddit, “Am I the [jerk]?"
Reddit’s Response
Reddit overwhelmingly voted that the wife was not the jerk and that whether she’s in an office or at home, her role as breadwinner deserves respect.
“Have you tried putting it this way: Husband, would you drive 1 hour to my workplace and ask me to fix your tie? Would you send the kids by bus to my office to have me comb their [hair]? This is my office, these are my working hours, and it doesn't matter if I have to drive to an office building or walk across the hall in our house, I'm working.”
A Free Babysitter
Many users argued that the reason the husband was so angry with the addition of a lock was that he will now be solely responsible for childcare during the workday. One user said that perhaps he is jealous of his wife being the breadwinner while he’s reluctantly assumed the role of stay-at-home-parent.
“Sounds like you have 2 kids and a baby,” commented one user.
Fans Of The Lock
Other users said that similar incidences have happened between them and their significant others, with one user saying, “My husband and I both work from home and I got a lock for the same reason. He barged in singing while I was on a video call once. That was my last straw.”
Was the wife in the right to buy a lock to protect her boundaries, or do you agree with the husband and she was overreacting?