According to a recent Gallup poll, about a quarter of employed adults in the US say they have a “work best friend.” That number has gone down a few points since the start of the pandemic—it’s hard to make lasting connections with colleagues you may have never actually met in person—but it’s an interesting metric all the same. People with work besties are more likely to say they’re happy at work and to recommend their workplace to others. 

But having a best friend at work can be a tricky tightrope act. Those who chat too much can be dubbed gossips and run the risk of seeming cliquey to others. And what about when your good-time best friend becomes your boss, or vice versa? You may find it difficult to receive harsh feedback from someone you once saw fall out of an Uber at ...