Friendships at the workplace could work as a support network for people and even boost an employee’s spirit. But, are they appropriate?
Dr Michael Hamarneh, consultant clinical psychologist at the Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai, told Gulf News: “People spend a majority of their awake hours at work. They reach home in the evening and are too tired to do anything. Co-workers can be a wonderful source of support and friendships are naturally developed. But, relationships are not easy and they could interfere with work if they become negative.”
Hamarneh says that a lot of people end up meeting their spouses at the workplace. But, relationships that become bitter end up affecting one’s ability to work.
He said: “The potential pitfall is that people know a lot about each other and the information can be used in inappropriate ways. When somebody is rejected, people could utilise blackmailing or other types of harassment methods. The stress can impact the people involved and the organisation negatively. People will start avoiding one another, not cooperate and the team dynamics will be affected. Ultimately, there is a negative impact on their performance. So relationships or friendships at work are a double edged sword. People need to understand that if relationships go wrong and people are not mature about it, it could create problems.”
Hamarneh emphasises on the issue of privacy.
He said: “When people join a new organisation, it is natural for them to form friendships. But, they need to remember that the issue of privacy is important. When there are no boundaries to private information, there are potential problems. Different individuals handle conflicts in different manners.”
When it comes to the relationship between managers and employees, Hamarneh advises to be extremely careful.
He said: “Relationships sometimes can be blurred. When managers have a friendly relationship with those who they have to supervise, will their judgment be clouded? They have to be conscious of the way they speak to the employees, despite being ‘friends’. Managers are responsible for the work environment. It might become difficult for them to be objective or they may even lose credibility if they are treating people differently.”
As far as whether people can truly trust their coworkers, Hamarneh says it is dependent on people’s personality types.
He said: “Different people have different attitudes. Some people are cynical and paranoid, while others are more trusting. It also depends on our cultural background and whether they come from a nuclear or joint family system. If you can understand the pitfalls of relationships, you can avoid a lot of issues.”
