Potential Risks in Friendly, Casual Work Environments

It’s a great feeling to come to work each day and find yourself in comfortable, easy-going surroundings. You feel close to the employees and there’s an easy camaraderie. What could be wrong with that?

The answer is quite simple. You’re the boss. While it’s great to be friendly with your employees, you can never forget that you are the only one who’s invested time and money in your business. Are you ready to throw that away by forgetting you need to be the responsible one?

At some point, it’s likely that you’ll have to counsel or fire an employee. It’s much harder when you’ve crossed that “friends” line. Something your employees never forget, just is case you have, is that they are paid to come to work each day. They aren’t volunteering. Also keep in mind that it’s almost always that one disgruntled employee (or ex-employee) who files the lawsuit or brings you to the attention of the government.

A casual environment can easily slip into a sloppy environment. Casual may mean that employees can wear jeans and flip flops or have fun decorating their cubes. Sloppy means your documentation is weak and your company is out of compliance.

Save your business by acting like a friendly boss who’s providing an environment that’s a great place to work.