05/31/2026
12 years: lunch every day, complained about management, celebrated birthdays, shared problems, happy hours. Thought these were real friends. Got laid off. Day 1: sympathy texts, “so sorry,” “stay in touch,” “ # coffee.” Week 1: few check-ins, “how are you,” “hang in there.” Week 2: silence. Month 1: I reach out “grab lunch?” “I’m so busy, let’s find time.” Never do. Month 2: see their Instagram—happy hour without me. Month 3: stop trying. What I learned: work friends = friends of convenience. Friends because stuck in same place, same time. Bond over shared misery, goals, schedule. Moment you’re gone, not part of shared experience. You’re reminder of what could happen to them—proof they’re replaceable. They distance. Not bad people—you represent their fear. Work friendship was always transactional.