Friendship at the Workplace – A Recipe for Better Well-Being?

We conducted a study to examine how workplace friendships can influence the psychological well-being of young employees aged 18 to 29. We hypothesized that their psychological well-being would be higher if they had friends at the wor­kplace, more opportunities for friendships, and engaged in collaborative work. Data were collected using a mixed-method approach. A total of 172 participants responded to an online survey, which included the Workplace Friendship Scale and the Mental Health and Satisfaction Scale – Short Form. Additionally, semi­-structured interviews were conducted with six participants in order to gain a more detailed insight into the research topic. After conducting both statistical and qualitative analyses, we rejected the hypotheses. Although the variables investi­gated showed positive correlations, none of them were statistically significant. We attributed this to the changing dynamics of the workplace, remote work, the influence of organizational culture, and the barriers imposed by a larger number of friendships. The participants’ own definitions of workplace friendship and the specific characteristics of the population also likely contributed to the results.