Employee Creates ‘Graveyard’ To Remember All Of Her Favorite Co-Workers Who Left The Job
PerfectWave | Shutterstock A woman named Alexia shared the humorous and poignant remembrance she created in honor of her co-worker friends who no longer worked with her. She created a "graveyard" by printing out pictures of resigned co-workers and taping them to her desktop monitor.
While her social media post was meant to be all in good fun, the truth is that co-workers impact our lives. These are people you spend a significant amount of your life with, and when they are no longer a part of your daily routine, that creates loss. Work friends make the day more manageable. They give you an outlet for frustration. They offer support and camaraderie and even a little spark of joy in often otherwise monotonous days.
An employee created a 'graveyard' to remember her favorite co-workers who left the job.
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Alexia captioned her Instagram post simply "Why do my favs keep leaving?!" The four images of smiling faces were followed by a gravestone reading R.I.P.
She didn't have their pictures on top of her desk, but rather right on her monitor "in order from who left first [closest to the grave] to last." The remembrance was significant because, regardless of how they became friends, these people were an important part of her daily life.
The value of co-worker friendships is often minimized.
Instead of just calling them friends, many people distinguish "work" friends from "real" friends as if they are somehow less significant. Therapist Dr. Sara Kuburic explained of co-worker friendships, “All relationships are personal relationships.” As she pointed out, "If you’re going to spend more waking hours with colleagues than with your own family, shouldn’t you actually enjoy their company?"
Research has found that around 30% of employees have a "best friend at work." But why the distinction? It could be because there is more at stake in the workplace that makes trust only go so far. Professor Stephen Friedman explained, "An HR VP told me how, in his early career, a mentor advised him to 'never be friends' with his staff because 'you may have to fire them.'" That inevitably happened, but according to Friedman, the benefits of work friends always outweigh the cost. But you have to know what's at stake.
Alexia cared for her work friends, but she also knew the risk of becoming emotionally attached. The "Graveyard" was a healthy way to mourn the loss and process the changes. She sees their faces whenever she works. This is not a distraction, but rather a friendly reminder of their significance in her life
Women often benefit from workplace friendships more than men.
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If you work a full-time office job, you spend at least 8 hours a day staring at a screen. That can get lonely. In fact, a KPMG survey found that women are 30% more likely than their male colleagues to feel lonely at least some of the time they are at work.
Gallup found that two-thirds of working women value the social aspects of their jobs and actually crave close relationships with co-workers. It's important to have people in your corner, even if it's just to vent with or share a quick gab over break room coffee.
"Genuine friendships between coworkers are the secret sauce to establishing a workplace culture that’s not only defined by collaboration and teamwork, but also by authentic engagement, a deep sense of care and respect, and, maybe most underappreciated — fun,” said Sandy Torchia, KPMG U.S. Vice Chair of Talent and Culture. “By finding new, creative ways to foster and support friendship at work, employers can create an environment where individuals feel valued, motivated, and truly connected to the organization.”
Alexia clearly had a connection with her former co-workers, and that's a good thing. Her overall well-being was probably much better than that of colleagues who choose to work without any socialization. As Gallup noted, "women's friendships at work affect their overall engagement." Meaning women who have friends in the workplace are happier and more productive. It's as simple as that.
Emi Magaña is a writer from Los Angeles with a bachelor's in English. She covers entertainment, news, and the real human experience.
