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Why is it a bad idea not to be FB friends with your coworkers? I don't normally post a whole lot about work, except to say very generic stuff like "it was a good day" or "I am glad to be home." Ever since my bad experience of a few years ago, I have definitely drawn the lines between my professional life and my private life. I am rather conservative in my religion and my beliefs and I post stuff on FB relating to my beliefs. Most of the people I work with are a lot more liberal than I am in those areas. I do not want to even run the slightest risk of someone saying something to my bosses. Even though technically, you aren't suppose to be able to be fired for stuff like that, we all know it happens. I work in Indiana and don't belong to an union. Indiana is not very sympathetic to workers and will usually side with businesses. I don't want there to be any chance of a co worker getting their shorts in a twist over a conservative POV that I might take on FB, and then report me. Not worth it to me.
I can feel for you in your situation. I am not sure what happened to you, but in my experience having coworkers as FB friends is just asking for trouble. People who considered close friends from worked stabbed me in the back. This was 4 years ago, and I still have trust issues with my current co workers. I am friendly and polite with them, but I sure keep a wall up with them between my private life and my work life. I highly doubt I will trust coworkers to any length ever again. I was that devastated.
The other side of that coin is that having co-workers on your FB means you get to see the kinda crazy stuff they are into, and maybe you really didn't want to know about that.
I friended a couple of engineers from work, and found out that they are Batsh#t crazy.
And now I still have to work with these guys, wishing I didn't know them so well.
I am not too fond of the idea of adding my co-workers on facebook, I don't want to get too involved with someone at work. Three months ago a co-worker of mine caught me off guard and asked, "what's your Facebook name"? I didn't know what to say, I just gave it to her. Yes, we get along great at work, have some laughs, she's even shared her personal story with me. We'll now, three of my co-workers sent me a request. I didn't accept it. Now, I feel awful and I don't know what to say if it should ever come up? Some already joke around and say, I think I'm too good for them.
I add people I am likely to hang out with after work or if we have interesting conversations at work and I'd like to get to know them better. I am anti-adding bosses/superiors until I don't work with them with few exceptions.
It really depends on how you use Facebook, and what you share, and what you are comfortable sharing with your colleagues.
My Facebook persona isn't too far off my work persona. I don't share anything super personal. Except for politics. But if I have approved you on Facebook, we are already on the same political spectrum.
If you have a policy like, I don't add colleagues, just be up front about it.
What I find, in general, in socializing at work, is that some people want to feel like they are a part of your life. I am a private person, so I choose a topic in my life I am comfortable being really open with about with coworkers. It can be anything, but it gives them something to connect to you on. I usually pick "food" as my open topic. We can talk about restaurants, recipes, dishes and so on! Any coworker can learn all about what I like to eat! Suddenly, they are included in a part of my life, but there are minimal repercussions in terms of my overall privacy.
You might pick books, gardening, sports, hobbies, whatever. Just pick something. I goes a long way i getting people to warm up to you.
Why is it a bad idea not to be FB friends with your coworkers? I don't normally post a whole lot about work, except to say very generic stuff like "it was a good day" or "I am glad to be home." Ever since my bad experience of a few years ago, I have definitely drawn the lines between my professional life and my private life. I am rather conservative in my religion and my beliefs and I post stuff on FB relating to my beliefs. Most of the people I work with are a lot more liberal than I am in those areas. I do not want to even run the slightest risk of someone saying something to my bosses. Even though technically, you aren't suppose to be able to be fired for stuff like that, we all know it happens. I work in Indiana and don't belong to an union. Indiana is not very sympathetic to workers and will usually side with businesses. I don't want there to be any chance of a co worker getting their shorts in a twist over a conservative POV that I might take on FB, and then report me. Not worth it to me.
I wouldn't add anyone whose politics are way off from mine, coworker or not.
I wouldn't add anyone whose politics are way off from mine, coworker or not.
Some of them are close family members. My parents and I are so far apart on the political spectrum, it isn't even funny. Most of my FB friends do think like me politically, but there are those exceptions. I have unfriended some folks from FB whose opinions are very radically different than mine, as I am sure some have done that to me.
I still say it isn't good to have co-workers as your FB friends, but that is my own personal experience. Everyone will need to weigh the pros and cons for themselves and make what they feel is the right decision for them.
The other side of that coin is that having co-workers on your FB means you get to see the kinda crazy stuff they are into, and maybe you really didn't want to know about that.
I friended a couple of engineers from work, and found out that they are Batsh#t crazy.
And now I still have to work with these guys, wishing I didn't know them so well.
LOL. Yeah the nice boring engineers.......often have the most fascinating facebook pages. Theres something about the job....it just drives us that way. We're the 21st century version of hat makers.
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My parents and I are so far apart on the political spectrum, it isn't even funny. Most of my FB friends do think like me politically, but there are those exceptions. I have unfriended some folks from FB whose opinions are very radically different than mine, as I am sure some have done that to me. 
