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- Having work friends has perks for workers and employers alike.
- Gallup's Ben Wigert said people's best friends at work "create a sense of trust, belonging, and connection."
- From work acquaintances to "work spouses," connections have changed amid hybrid and remote work.
Back in the pre-pandemic, full-time office era, Erin Mantz, 54, often had someone at work she could trust, commiserate with, count on, and have fun with — her "work spouse."
"It's not like a dating app," Mantz said. "I wasn't actively out there being like, 'Who can I pick?' It just sort of happened organically."