Men of Reddit, what do you consider too close of a relationship with a coworker?

36 comments

1. Sucking each other’s dick is probably a bit too far.

2. Personally, I want to keep every work relationship platonic and limited to friendly acquaintances or work friends, where we’re friends until I clock out and then we go live separate lives. But I acknowledge that I’m fairly antisocial, so that’s just me as opposed to the way it ought to be for everyone.

   (I do think coworker romances are probably more trouble than they’re worth but the heart’s going to do what it’s going to do, so it’s understandable when it happens.)

3. Depends on a lot of things. I think as a general idea it’s fine to be close to coworkers. But a lot of things can change that.

4. I try to never learn middle names.

   That is so creepy.

5. Our hips touching

6. Anything that could give her even the most remote possibility of having any grounds for a HR interaction. Never go fishing off of the company boat.

7. to the point where it affects your work performance, beyond that y’all could be fucking every minute of every day outside of the office for all I care, as long as you can be adults about it and it doesn’t affect your ability to survive in this world then I don’t see a problem

8. My balls tapping their chin.

9. I’ve never thought in this manner. I don’t really see where being friends with coworkers would impact work. I’m not in a very serious job posting though, so perhaps the dynamics will change upon graduation.

10. I deal with everybody as an individual, I don’t care where we found each other, if you’re cool and wanna be homies we homies. I do construction so I think it’s pretty normal to make legitimate friends when you’re on 5 person or less crews.

11. I think that if we actually get along and have common interests it’s fine. One of my former co-workers and I talked about video games and added each other on PSN. Neither of us works there anymore and we’ve been close friends for a few years.

12. I used to think talking about one’s personal life was too close. But I was in a cultish religion at the time.

    Around the same time I left that, one person I worked with invited me to the friend group. They now work at another place but this group still includes ~5 people I see at work at least once a week, and many others in the same area of work (including my boss).

    We hang out together every few weeks. Most people in the group have an M.S. or Ph.D. but we talk about the most casual shit (a couple weeks back we were joking about “shooting rope”). This year I was at a couple of scientific conferences (related to the job) with a couple from the group, and we hung out recreationally in the evenings (for the second conference I was there with just one of them, and we did something together (usually a bar) every evening).

    So yeah, I would say physical or emotional intimacy as obviously too far, but outside of that if it’s the right person, it shouldn’t matter.

13. If part of you is entering parts of her. Other wise, all good.

14. Meeting/texting outside work (unless it’s about work).

15. Anything that has nothing to do with work and most importantly, late night early morning chats. Unless you’re single and are looking to get attached

16. Knowing her gag reflex.

17. When she’s grabbing your jink insteat of a sandwich. When she’s going for a shag instead of a coffee. When she’s on her knees instead of working on that report for Stacy in accounts.

18. I used to sell my co-workers LSD.

    So that.

19. There’s no such thing, I had sex with 3 women at my last job. no harm done. If it’s a job you want to keep it could be problematic

20. When it starts to negatively effect other people.

    If you guys want to fuck during your off hours, then whatever, that’s on you, but don’t lock everyone out of the tool room. Find somewhere else.

21. If she lets me smash in the back of her 97 Cherokee

22. I’ve been in romantic relationships with coworkers and helped work on some cars and houses in the off time becoming good friends, so I’m good with anything pretty much. That being said, I’ve been able to leave any job easily if anything went bad, im a skilled worker with plenty of certifications to start somewhere else, so there wasn’t any real risk to me financially, assuming I can’t work with them in the potential fallout.

23. Touching, except handshake or pat on the back. My girlfriend has close male coworkers friends but I wouldnt like it if i saw her sit in a coworkers lap or having a hand resting on her leg, getting slapped on the butt jokingly etc, and i wouldnt do it myself. Even if i trust her and him its just not something i accept from a committed partner in their 30s. Im okay with talking about sex or relationship stuff as long as its in general and not specific/personal

24. If they’re in a relationship and want to cheat with you. Otherwise every single woman is open game.

25. Calls after hours and bitch about there life

26. Displays of intimacy between man and woman. Only causes trouble sooner or later.

27. Well I learned that things go poorly in the long term if a female coworker suggests drinks one on one after work and you have poor self discipline. Short term it was fantastic.

28. My story is a warning to anyone considering dating a work colleague. Had my eye on good looking coworker and eventually asked her out. Things got serious and we started sleeping together. Been married for 30 years now.

29. Depends on the situation, if me and a dude rock at work we might kick it on a weekend day some time. Back when I had female coworkers, I was friendly at work but that’s the end of it. If my wife had a male coworker friend, she should be cordial at work but not talk to him outside of work point blank. If she had a female coworker, she can be best friends outside of it

30. If you talk to me about anything other than work you’ve crossed the line and I will be reporting you to HR.

31. Hanging out outside of work or talking about our personal lives.

32. Anything more than “just the tip”

33. When there is more than a nods worth of interaction.

    I deal with people shooting the shit and I will but I just want to put in my time and go home. I’m not there for friends and fucking off. I want to stay busy so my time passes not fuck around making the day drag.

34. If she insists I choke her and spit in her eye during sex, and says don’t wear a condom and nut in her, and assures me she’s on birth control but she’s not and she ends up pregnant with twins and I end up raising them and putting them through college and then I find out that everyone was nutting in her and choking her and spitting in her eye and that “VP of Member Services” was actually a joke title and the kids weren’t mine and they start calling me by my first name and draw asterisks on all of the “Worlds Greatest Dad” mugs they gave me, think a professional boundary has been crossed,

35. It all depends on the environment

36. If we haven’t hung out at work or outside of work don’t hop in my car