Amanda Rose: What to do if your work friend loses their job
It might seem hard if your work buddy loses their job, but career expert Amanda Rose says there are ways to avoid it becoming awkward.
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Amanda Rose is a business consultant, workplace trainer, LinkedIn influencer and founder of six organisations – and now she is tackling your career questions for SMART Daily every Monday.
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Work teams are shrinking around Australia in the wake of COVID-19, but if your friend loses their job, don’t get involved – you need to separate work from friendship.
Don’t talk to them about what is going on at the workplace, and don’t talk to the workplace about what’s going on with the friend.
You are not the intermediary – that’s not healthy and not what your friend needs.
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If your friend is expecting you to gossip or find out information at the workplace, say, “That’s not going to help, and don’t put me in that situation”.
If the workplace asks about them, say, “You call them; you ask”.
And you shouldn’t feel guilty that your friend lost their job and you haven’t.
It’s a business decision made by the business.
Just say, “That sucks but let’s get you another job. Let’s get your resume and LinkedIn up to date”.
You also might find you lose that friendship once they leave the workplace but then you need to question whether they were a friendly person at work, or a genuine friend.
I have friends from when I was in the corporate world but they became real friends once I left.
You can be a team player without being close friends with someone.
You might enjoy going to work because you are friendly with your colleagues and get along with them, but it doesn’t mean you should take it home with you.
If you are too close with people at work you may be taking too much of the slack, then you resent it and blow up when you are in trouble.
You may want to connect on social media as a way of saying “We are connected but not friends”.
It is possible to have two different worlds.
You can have your private life and keep that private.
If you are feeling lost at work after a friend is gone, throw yourself into the work.
Friendships change, situations change – nothing stays the same.
The bonus is you will probably be more productive and get to go home on time.
– with Melanie Burgess