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We spend so much of our time at work that it's only natural that some of our colleagues start to become like family. That's despite many people not always showing their true colors at the office.
Decades of research have found that workplace friendships benefit us more than we might realize. Not only do they help improve productivity and morale, but our work friends can also provide practical support by sharing their knowledge and data.
Then, of course, there's the emotional and moral support that we give and receive to our office besties. We're going through similar or the same struggles and therefore, have a deep understanding of each other's challenges and hurdles.
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Research has found that people are feeling more disconnected from their colleagues than they once did before. Only 38% of Americans polled by Gallup in 2024 said they felt like someone at work cared about them. That figure is nearly 10 percentage points from January 2020. A separate American Psychological Association survey found that a third of respondents actually feel lonely when they're working.
This could have something to do with the Covid pandemic, which saw people shifting to remote or hybrid work. It goes without saying that not seeing your co-workers face-to-face can make it challenging to forge friendships with them.
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As mentioned earlier, having friends at work can be beneficial to your productivity, happiness and mental health. It also tends to give you a sense of belonging, so it helps to at least try to cultivate a few co-worker friendships.
If you're struggling to forge meaningful connections, experts say it's more effective to bond with one or two co-workers rather than all of them at once.
"Those initial friendships can bridge later ones, easing the social burden of introductions over time," explains the WorkTango team. "These relationships can start small, with virtual or in-person coffee chats or striking up a conversation over a shared interest."
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You don't even need much knowledge of a colleague's outside life to strike up a friendship with them, although based on some of the stories on this list, you may want to be cautious who you associate yourself with.
If there's a colleague who seems like they might make a loyal, fun and great friend, you can get the ball rolling by maybe giving them a compliment on their work or offering to collaborate on a project with them. It's better to do this in person, via a call, or video chat, rather than sending a text or email.
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Of course, there are some downsides to making friends at work, especially when or if the boundaries between work relationships and personal friendships become a bit too blurred.
"Challenging situations can arise that can affect not only the individuals involved, but entire teams and even organizational culture. These entanglements create tension points where professional responsibilities and personal loyalties collide," warns the Best Corporate Events & Team Building site. For example, if a manager promotes one of their friends and overlooks other candidates.
The experts caution that even if decisions are made with "legitimate professional justification," there can still be a perception of favoritism.
Another risk is when two friends who work together have a disagreement outside of the office. This can easily spill over and affect productivity, team collaborations, mood and morale in the workplace.
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