by Ellie Copper

Created on: January 29, 2010

Working with friends or starting friendships in the workplace can be either a great experience or total disaster. Every situation is different. Every person is going to give back to a relationship or grab and run. Hopefully, your friend isn't the more selfish of the two.

There are some great pros to this argument along with some unfortunate cons. Friendships are bound to happen at work when you spend a good portion of your day working. To avoid them completely, is a bit naive. Making yourself aware of potential problems will make it easier.

 Pro

Work can become more enjoyable. Easing the stress of your work, friends can help you find the joy and humor on the job. Happy workers make better workers.

Con

A friend might take advantage of your relationship. Leaning on you to get by and burdening you with more responsibility. They may complete their work in a mediocre manner because they have the knowledge that you spruce it up or bring it up to par.

Pro

Good friends are more likely to help you when the heat is on. When a deadline comes around, a good friend will be there to support you. Whether it is just a shoulder or a more proactive stance, this kind of friendship can be extremely beneficial in a pinch.

Con

Mistakes and mishaps may happen. Becoming more focused on enjoying work than getting work completed properly is something you are going to want to avoid. Employers like happy workers, but they want the job done right.

Pro

Networking! Your friend may have connections or friends in higher places and vice versa. It's a great plus to your career.

Con

Working with friends can be difficult, especially when they focus on the social after work activities instead of the work at hand. We all make plans, but work is work and still needs your full attention.

Pro

Friends can be a good source of recommendations. This is more for a project to project or freelance atmosphere. If an employer asks for feedback on your work from your friend, they are more likely to give good feedback than negative. You can also boost the value of your word when an employer asks for your feedback on a friend, making it more likely that your boss will value your intuition.

Con

Recommendations can also go the other way. A friend may put your name as a reference without your knowledge, or ask you to recommend them with out the resume to back them up. It can make for a very uncomfortable situation. In the case of you recommending them, they might mess up on a project or not mesh well with the team. This can harm the value of your input.

Pro

A friend might compliment your work better than just a co-worker. Friendships in the workplace can cause a camaraderie that creates a strong single focus on getting the work done better. With you both taking pride in your work, it will usually show. A good friendship can make great teamwork.

Con

Any arguments you might have may carry over to the work atmosphere. These can cause tension that other co-workers will definitely notice. And if a friendship ends, it can cause some unpleasant office drama. These tensions do not need to be in an already tense environment.

Again, these relationships have either great opportunities or bad situations. The best thing is to use your best judgment in these situations. If a friend starts to show any of these cons, let them know. Some relationships require just a little separation in the workplace and a good friend should be able to realize that. Communicating your worries will help out your friendship in the long run.

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