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After leaving his job, a former MNC employee says years of close workplace friendships disappeared almost instantly, leaving him with unexpected lesson about office relationships
His experience has struck a chord online. (representational image)
An ex-MNC employee has shared how the friendships he built over six years at work faded soon after he resigned, leaving many professionals reflecting on the true nature of workplace relationships. He said he had always believed the bonds he formed with colleagues would last beyond the office.
From coffee breaks and lunches to attending weddings and helping each other through personal milestones, the relationships felt genuine while they worked together.
He Shares What Changed After Leaving
Sharing his experience on X, Prashant Pansare advised people not to become too emotionally attached to their jobs or colleagues.
“Don’t get too attached to your job or your colleagues. I spent over 6 years at a major MNC corporate. Friendships were built through coffee meets, lunches, sports, walks, helping their families and kids, becoming close enough to attend weddings and seeing families grow over the years. All this disappeared the moment I left. No calls, no contacts, no messages, no emails. All vanished,” he wrote.
He said the silence after leaving the company made him realise that many relationships were tied more to the workplace than he had imagined. Pansare also recalled several occasions where he had gone out of his way to support people he considered close friends.
“Imagine running to donate blood late at night, caring for their old parents by rushing on an overnight train journey because they were abroad. Helping with their sister’s wedding by taking days off. No one turned up when I needed help once I left,” he added.
Looking back, he said the experience changed the way he viewed office friendships. “Friends that I thought would be lifelong were just colleagues with career aspirations, competitors eyeing promotions and bonuses. Lesson: Colleagues are not necessarily friends. Build your circle of friends outside the office as well,” he wrote.
Social Media Users Share Mixed Views
The post started a discussion, with many people saying they had gone through something similar after changing jobs, while others felt genuine workplace friendships do exist.
A user wrote, “True! Not everyone cares like you do. Check them early. But we don’t have the mentality of checking whether others care for us or not.”
Don’t get too attached to your job or your colleagues.I spent over 6 years at a major MNC corporate, friendship that got built there through coffee meets, lunches, sports, walks, helping their families, kids, becoming close buddies to attend marriages and seeing families…
— Prashant Pansare (@PrashantPansare) July 3, 2026
Another shared a different experience and said, “So true, but there are a few who continue to be there even if they are far apart. I have spent 22 years at an MNC, and some of them are so close that whenever we talk, we pick up from where we left off, even if it’s only once in a while. Those are truly happy moments.”
A person commented, “That’s why I don’t really get attached to people, you know. I only help people if they are my family. Even in college, I had friends, but I prefer to stay alone most of the time. I love being alone!”
“True that, I have worked in 17 different companies, only a few turned out to be real friends out of thousands of colleagues. Most friendships in offices are out of compulsion/necessity and nicety and being diplomatic than real matching of interests,” someone said.
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