Your colleagues are the people you spend most of your time with. They know exactly how you like your tea, they understand your work problems, they know all of your annoying habits, and they help make work (almost) bearable. However, considering this, it’s surprising that we’re less likely to have friends at work now than in years past. And we get it, separation of work and life is important. But, so is our happiness. As Harper’s Bazaar reveals, many reports say fostering strong friendships in the workplace is better for our health and career, and leads to higher levels of happiness in the office.
Why it’s important to have work friends
They can make you happier
Turns out, you really can put a price on friendship. According to recent reports, our work friends (that we see on most days) have the potential to increase our happiness as much as earning $100,000 more per year.
They can make you more focused, productive & loyal
Psychologist and author Ron Friedman points out in his book The Best Place To Work that people with work besties are more focused, productive, and loyal to their organisation. And they’re probably smarter, too. Similarly, Tom Rath shares research in his book, Vital Friends: The People You Can’t Afford to Live Without, that says employees who have an office BFF show seven times more engagement with their work than those who don’t have a work pal.
They can motivate you
We get it, sometimes there are days when you just don’t feel like getting out of bed. So, it makes sense that work friendships give you something to look forward to. Not to mention, your work wife might also double as your gym buddy. Motivation to get your work done, and hit the treadmill? Sign us up.
