Employees Most Thankful for Friends at Work

Friendly coworkers second only to a paycheck in importance

At work, as in life, people get by with a little help from their friends, a new OfficeTeam survey shows. When asked recently what they are most thankful for in their jobs, aside from a paycheck, nearly one-quarter (24%) of office professionals said friendly coworkers. One in five (20%) respondents most appreciates a good benefits program.

The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 400 U.S. workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments.

Workers were asked, “Aside from salary, what are you most thankful for at your current job?” Responses include:

• Friendly coworkers: 24%
• Good benefits program: 20%
• Easy commute: 16%
• Challenging assignments: 15%
• Supportive manager: 11%

The survey also revealed differences by age: Respondents over the age of 65 were most thankful for friendly coworkers (40%), followed by those between the ages of 18 and 34 (34%).

View an infographic of the research highlights.