Making friends through work

No, I only have a handful of close friends, but some of those are women with whom I worked for many years.

I don't find it sad. I seem to have acquired some work colleagues as friends. It's them who keep in touch not me. I am a bit odd as I don't really need friends. I meet up with these ex colleagues every now and again but, and this probably sounds awful, but it wouldn't bother me if I didn't again.

We are a circle of friends formed at work at the local hospital in the 1980's and we're still friends. We've even holidayed abroad together.
Including myself, there are 5 of us and before the pandemic, we used to meet up for lunches or at a teashop. We haven't seen each other for 2 years and can't wait to continue where we left off. Birthdays and Christmas's remain remembered.
It's a lovely friendship which I value enormously.

Depends on the colleagues.

I very much dislike the compulsory social life that seems to go along with work in some places. If you don’t join in with the after-work drink etc then you’re always behind with what’s going on at work because stuff has been discussed and settled when you’re not there.

My best friends are people I worked with 50 years ago, we are all about the same age and are more like sisters. We have supported each other through some very difficult times.

Four of my closest friends I met at work. We have a lot in common and continue to be friends now we are mostly retired.

My dearest friends are those I met in the course of my working life. Maybe I was just lucky but I met lots of terrific people whose company I really enjoyed and still do.

I never mixed home and work but after leaving have some very good friends from those days.

It depends on the colleagues. One ex colleague and I worked together for 5 years and remained close friends for 45 years until her death 3 years ago. Another ex colleague and I worked together for 18 years and remain friends after my retirement (we met up yesterday). Other colleague friendships lived on for a while but petered out, as they do. I was an "office party avoider" (even managed to avoid my own retirement party!) but it didn't seem to affect my colleague relationships/friendships.

I have not remained friends with anyone I worked with, but still have some very good friends from school both primary and secondary.
As i write this I am waiting fir a friend; to have a cuppa and slice if cake. We met at 11 and been friends for over 60 years.

I have some very good friendships that started through working together. A few others that petered out over the years because of time and distance.

I am still working, and work with a very diverse age group, however friendly we are at work, I have not developed any outside-work relationships with anyone here.

But I believe good friendships can be formed through many different means; friends met while single, while being mums of young children, meeting people through similar interests, etc. It is always a good thing to be open towards new relationships.

My DD's God mother is someone I met at work.

I met my closest friends through work. We supported each other during stressful times whilst working, had fun out of work, still strong after 30 odd years.

Most of my friends have been met through work. I'm a real curmudgeon too so I have no idea how.

I've had 'friends' from work - but haven't kept in touch when we've moved on. I think we were only friends in that situation due to being teachers and seeing each other every day - with not much else in common.

I do have two really good friends that I met when my children were small. There was a far better range of choice, back then, so I must have picked ideal ones!

I have had longlasting friends from work, until they died and some I was friends with for a while. anything from a year or two to decades, although it has later wained.

What I never did was mix work and romance. I did it once at university - and never again. Well, I was tempted, twice, but both were very brief, I made sure that it was never known at work.

God I did Monica. Absolute disaster. Part of how we learn I suppose.

I agree that a lot of workplace friendships wane once you no long work together. But the really good ones last and can really enrich your life.

I very much enjoy socialising with ex colleagues and I am lucky enough to have different groups from different companies. Absolutely no pressure. We simply have a weekly meeting p!ace and time. Pot luck whoever turns up. In eight years I've only once been the sole attendee and that didn't bother me one little bit. Nice venue.....

We all attend by individual choice with absolutely no pressure. Nothing specific ever arranged. We just have a regular meeting day and time. Pot luck whoever turns up. Only once in eight years have I been there a!one. Great (but casual) fun.

Don't ask!! Half of it disappeared and now I see it has returned. I'm a techie genius!

I married one of my work colleagues! He was a friend for quite a while before we started going out.

I would say that 99.9% of my friends are from when i worked. Loyal, trustworthy friends , some who are complete opposite to me but we accept each other for who we are, that i believe is real friendship.

I keep the different parts of my life entirely separate, always have done. Work colleagues, however well we get on, remain colleagues. Friends and family are not part of my working life. I did once bring both spheres together for a leaving do when I left a job and a city at the same time, and it was a rather odd mix. My family and friends were astonished to discover how well regarded I was by colleagues, and colleagues found my family and friends all a bit eccentric.

me too* LtEve* 47 years married and I was his boss when we met ,I've a fair few good friends from that same company ,terrific women and men who we see regularly ,until covid