The relationship between employees outside workplaces can spark controversy, with some encouraging it in the evenings or on weekends and others refraining from it entirely. I think that these choices seem to result from varied organizational cultures and people’s personalities.
On the one hand, there are good reasons why some people find it wise to socialize with colleagues after work hours. One might be that coworkers are an essential part of our lives, given that we spend, on average, a third of each weekday with them, and we can work with them more peacefully and effectively by learning who they are. The problem is that we do not have many opportunities at work to know about them, as human resource departments always set strict regulations about employees’ conduct. That is why a party on the weekend or a get-together at a bar in the evening allows everyone to shed the mask of professionalism and share personal stories about themselves, revealing their true selves and facilitating the process of building trust.
On the other hand, not everyone feels comfortable allowing random people from work to gain access to their personal lives. Colleagues are not often permanent, as they can quit or be laid off at any time. Worse is the competitive nature of workplaces, sometimes resulting in severe problems, such as sabotage or rumors. Some employees might even abuse others’ personal information overheard at a club on Monday evening to further their careers by spreading, for instance, rumors of sexual harassment, which, even if unsubstantiated, can be taken seriously by the management, resulting in someone’s employment termination.
These discussions suggest that the decision to socialize with colleagues outside the workplace is too complex to be reduced to a simple Yay or Nay. The choice might depend on the workplace atmosphere and people’s preferences. Therefore, colleagues are wise to consider various factors before they make decisions about matters like this so they can continue their employment without any problem.
