Why being friends with co-workers can be beneficial

In some workplaces, staff end up spending more time with their co-workers than they do with their family.

This is why studies show being friends with your office colleagues can mean a more productive, happier work environment.

But experts warn while this makes the workday a more pleasant experience, it is important to set boundaries to avoid problems.

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"One of the main distinctions you need to understand is a difference between being friendly and having a friend," psychologist Sandy Rea told Today Extra.

"There's lots of advantages of being friendly at work. It increases productivity, morale and a sense of belonging - When you have a conflict or a problem it is someone to go to."

But Rea warned there is downside, especially if there are co-workers with antagonistic personalities.

"If you're in a competitive environment and your friend gets promoted, you get insider information about that other person, which may be used to your disadvantage," she said.

"You can also sort of burn-out, when people are overly dependent with their friendships at work, they become quite tiresome and exhausting, so you have to be able to place the right boundaries in the work relationships.

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Rea said a healthy workplace friendship will be supportive with each person willing to accommodate and change for the other person.

She said some obvious topics to avoid - if you choose to be friendly rather than friends with your co-worker - are sexual history and be careful not to talk too much about your family and children, to name a couple.

"There is only so many child stories we can go on about, so be careful about what is the culture, what are the norms," Rea said.

"By imposing too much time and talking about your issues, of course your impacting on the productivity of that other person."

Watch the full segment with Sandy Rea above

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