Are you Facebook friends with co-workers? New research identifies social media challenges in workplace

Since 27% of employees have seen a co-worker post negatively about their workplace and one-in-10 have seen someone fired for social media posts, the overall consensus is to avoid ‘friending’ a co-worker at all costs. — Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

STATEN ISLAND, New York: With the current ubiquity of social media, it’s relatively easy to find, friend and keep tabs on neighbours, casual acquaintances, or your high school sweetheart. But is this increased connectivity a curse when it comes to mingling with co-workers? A new study says it just might be.

“One-third of people prefer not to connect with co-workers on social media at all, and one in four have seen something on social media that lowered their opinion of a co-worker,” noted research from All About Cookies, a research-focused website that recently surveyed 1,500 US adults to learn how they deal with social media in the workplace.