Community | 1 in 5 Brits say they met their best friends at work

Over a fifth of UK employees have met their closest friends at work, according to new research.

To get a closer look at how Brits develop friendships in today’s society, leading online greeting card experts Moonpig conducted a survey to uncover the changing attitudes towards modern friendships and how they celebrate those closest to them.

The survey, which polled over 2,000 people, revealed how Brits make friends and maintain friendships. The new research from Moonpig revealed over one in five Brits (21%) met their closest friends at work followed by hobbies/interests (15%). Two-fifths of those surveyed (43%) met their closest friends at school or university.

The survey found that three-quarters (75%) of Brits aged between 18 and 24 and almost two-thirds (61%) of 25 to 34-year-olds met their closest friend through school/university. In comparison, the older generation were found to have most likely made their friendships at work, something which is perhaps less surprising as a study by IFS found that over two-thirds (69%) of 55-year-old workers have been with the same employer for more than five years [2], suggesting that the older generations have deeper relationships with their colleagues than their younger peers.