Should a boss be friends with their employees on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat?

[Anonymous]

[jshm2]

There is a little trick to successful work and career that I as a fortune 500 employer am going to share with you:

Only deal with workmates at work. You're not being paid to deal with them anywhere else. But they can certainly raise anything questionable they find about you online to push you out of work.

Can't make things clearer than that. Sure be friends outside of work, but ensure you have the right boundaries and filters. When it comes to work and paychecks - there are no friends.

[Anonymous]

When I was a boss a couple years ago, I was only 5 years older than the majority of my employees. We were all on each others social media and we even had our own Facebook group where we organized social events like staff dinners, softball games, movie nights, holiday parties, etc. I definitely didn't have anything incriminating on my social media--just random pics of like nature and stuff, never posted anything private about relationships, family, or friends outside of work on the social medias they were linked to for me. I was however STRONGLY warned NEVER to drink with staff (I never did because I don't drink anyway), never to go anywhere private with staff (I never did) and to always have a management buddy there in case someone tried to accuse me of some type of wrong doing. I never had any issues. I felt super lucky that we could be cool like that. If it were a job today, I probably wouldn't do it.

[Bee-Hatch]

Absolutely not. If you're going to take on the role of boss, you need to act the part. You can be freindly with your staff, but never be freinds. How are you supposed to play it if you have to discipline or sack a member of staff?

[Luopio27]

Chicago fire TV series showed a firehouse where employees dated each other, had 2nd jobs as entreprenuers together, went for workouts, dinners, bars, concerts and everywhere together. They were more than anything out of this world.


In real life, I have met many kinds of bosses and the most down to earth once dont like the hierarchy where some are above others, jusy want all to work as one unit.


Societys protocols are based on logic. Human feelings are not. That creates inevitable conflicts of intrest.

[Anonymous]

Nope, I don't believe so.

There's a reason why, generally speaking, bosses are something most people feel a certain fear about.

If a boss gets too friendly with the employees as to hang out with them, add them on their personal social media and etc...

That's going to make the employees lose their respect for their boss (generally speaking).

They won't fear their boss as much and won't even see them as a boss anymore. They'll see them as a friend or colleague. Or worse, maybe some of them will even take advantage of their boss.

A boss needs to be someone with authority, with such a personality and influence that'll make the employees do their best work.

That's why there's usually managers or right hands. So there's no direct contact between the boss and employees more than the necessary.

This is a needed convention in order to make a business/company work out.

[razelove]

Shit no, work is clock in to clock out. Everything else is none of their business. Unless they want to start paying me for when I'm off the clock, then sure, we'll be best buds online, grab a beer together, whatever as long as you're paying.

[dustybiker]

Depends on the group relationship. Some groups can have that level of socializing and still have respect for each others position. It just works.

[Changiis07]

I find it can result in some drama at work, judgement. I don't think it's a good idea unless they are nice and such

[Anonymous]

If it’s my direct boss or in that line, probably not unless I had a good out of work relationship. Otherwise no point.

same with other manager/manageress, unless I have a good relationship, no.

[Kabluie]

Sure, I had many direct and indirect reports friend me on social media over the years. I even had a cold one with many, don't let movies like The Internship fool you.

[Anonymous]

it really depends how open and friendly the boss is , the employees might feel he's doing it to watch them though as some employers can be noisy

[RuthlessAggression]

my boss moved to across the street from me. we're cool though. we get along, he's younger than me though

[macjets007]

Absolutely not. As a manager, you must make a distinction between work and personal life.

[Iron_Man]

Probably not a good idea Then she’ll feel like she needs special privileges at work

[roy_ricky09]

Absolutely not. Only when he's your ex boss.
Only LinkedIn is fine.

[Anthony20108]

i suppose you could but you need to remember it is important not to let friendship get in the way of business, so i suppose it is fine just be weary.

[TrillXHippy]

No boss should be friends with their employees ever

[FreyaRed]

I don't think it's a good idea.

[fonduegirl]

If the boss is friendly, sure

[_Just_A_girl_]

No. Boundaries cross.

[Texaskid1]

Not in a million years.

[KrakenAttackin]

Absolutely not.

[worldscolide]

oh god no.