Are you Facebook friends with your coworkers?

According to a survey from the American Society for Training and Development an estimated 85% of coworkers gossip, nearly a quarter of them regularly.  No surprises there! We all gossip, regardless of what industry you work in. Truth is, you bond with your office brethren by gossiping about the weekend plans, your mutual loathing of the office suck-up/bully or the printer that always has a jam.

The average worker spends a large majority of time at work and it's almost impossible to not begin to develop relationships with most of your co-workers. Once you become real life "friends" it's not official until you are Facebook friends or you follow each other on Twitter correct? I find that it's always good to remember that just because you and your co-workers  are on seemingly friendly terms it doesn't necessarily make you friends

I have heard of salacious stories of co-workers using Facebook and Twitter against each other. In other cases I have heard people just turn down Facebook requests from other co-workers in order to maintain a polished career persona. Ouch. Denied!

I will admit that a large majority of my friends are actually my co-workers and for the most part I am Facebook friends with them. In recent years I have tried to do a better job of selecting the co-workers that will forever sit in the Facebook pending friend request line.  Some folks will just never cross over to the confirmed side. Listen, I realize everybody is not on team Makho. Quite frankly I am ok with that, I understand that everyone in your life is not meant to be your friend. In real life and on the internets. Yes I said internets. LOL!

An article in the US version of Glamour Magazine even advises that you de-friend or block your tweets from your office mates. They urge folks not to confuse colleagues with confidantes.

So talk to me, are you Facebook friends with you co-workers? How is that relationship working out of you. Leave me a comment in the comments section and tell me what you think.