How to Keep Your Work Friends After You Retire
Work friendships can boost teamwork, lift your spirits and make the job more fun. But when you retire, these friendships can fade. Here's a look at why that happens and what you can do about it.
As you move on from your job, the friendships you made — built on shared duties, coffee breaks and office banter — often struggle to survive. That's because you and your work friends share a common goal and often a shared language that only shows up at the office.
Changes in life, remote and hybrid work, retirement and shifts in daily routines can slowly erode workplace friendships, making you wonder why the connections that once felt so strong can unravel so quickly. Understanding why this happens can help you hold onto these connections, even after you’ve clocked out for the last time.
Several factors contribute to this, although other reasons might also play a role.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Loss of common ground
Work friendships are built on shared goals, routines, team dynamics and workplace environments. Leaving a job for retirement or a career change removes this common ground, making it harder to maintain connections without deliberate effort.
A different path in life
Life after work can lead to different priorities. Retirees might focus on personal fulfillment, including traveling or spending more time with family.
That can sometimes conflict with the work goals of friends still in professional roles in a full-time capacity. These differing schedules and interests can strain ties.
Not making the effort to stay in touch
Work friendships rely on regular interaction, such as lunch breaks, after-work get-togethers and meetings.
Without the office, maintaining contact requires intentional meetups, which might not happen if both parties don’t make it a priority.
Emotional disconnect
Workplace bonds are often more professional than personal. You and your colleagues go through similar stressors, deadlines and achievements together.
When you stop talking about work stuff, the friendship might fizzle without that shared connection.
You might even find you have nothing else in common, making any work-related friendship disappear.
Age-related shifts
It’s an unfortunate truth, but ageism can impact relationships, both at work and outside the office. For anyone age 50 or older, perceptions of aging — one friend looking forward to retirement and another just beginning their career — can create friction.
A 2025 Harvard Leadership & Happiness Laboratory article suggests that older adults find it more challenging to maintain work friendships because society today prioritizes productivity above building personal connections.
How to maintain friendships after work
When people leave the workplace, friendships can fizzle. The good news is that with a little work on your part, there are ways to salvage and even improve these friendships.
Take an active role: Schedule regular check-ins with former colleagues, such as coffee meetups or video calls to replace the interactions lost from leaving your job.
Join new communities: Before leaving the job, ask if your coworkers belong to local groups, clubs or classes that align with your interests.
Find shared interests: If coworkers have dissimilar interests, pursue hobbies or activities on your own to meet other people with similar passions beyond workplace ties.
Be open to forming new friendships: Take this opportunity to connect with people from other backgrounds and age groups. Reach out to past friends and acquaintances. Rebuilding old connections can lead to new friendships.
Address your emotional needs: What do you want in a friendship? Emotional support, shared activities? This is a good time to take care of yourself and find what makes you happy outside work.
Seek professional support: If loneliness or the loss of a close friend at work feels overwhelming, consider consulting a counselor or joining a support group.
These resources can help navigate the complexities of these emotions and develop strategies for connection, especially for individuals age 50 and older who are facing age-related transitions out of the workplace.
Finding connections after leaving your job
Workplace friends tie you to the job beyond just work-related tasks, creating a sense of belonging to something greater. Losing them can sting.
Some of your best ideas have come from conversations in the hallway or during lunch breaks. But it doesn’t have to stop there.
Understanding the depth of these connections, initiating meetups, joining a club or forming new friendships can help you process the loss and move forward confidently.
Related Content
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

For the past 18+ years, Kathryn has highlighted the humanity in personal finance by shaping stories that identify the opportunities and obstacles in managing a person's finances. All the same, she’ll jump on other equally important topics if needed. Kathryn graduated with a degree in Journalism and lives in Duluth, Minnesota. She joined Kiplinger in 2023 as a contributor.
-
A Lesson From the School of Rock About the MarketsIt's hard to hold your nerve during a downturn, but next time the markets take a tumble, remember this quick rock 'n' roll tutorial and aim to stay invested.
-
I retired at 65 with $7.8 million and feel like I over-saved. My 40-something son is on the same path. Should I tell him to reconsider?We ask financial experts for advice.
-
I Retired at 65 With $7.8 Million and Feel Like I Over-Saved. My 40-Something Son Is on the Same Path. Should I Tell Him to Reconsider?We ask financial experts for advice.
-
Deciding on Senior Living? 10 Things You Should KnowSenior living options are no longer God's waiting room.
-
I'm a Financial Pro: This Is How You Can Guide Your Heirs Through the Great Wealth TransferFocus on creating a clear estate plan, communicating your wishes early to avoid family conflict, leaving an ethical will with your values and wisdom and preparing them practically and emotionally.
-
How Prepaid Verizon Phone Service Works and When It's a Smart ChoiceExplore the differences between Verizon Prepaid and Verizon Postpaid plans—costs, perks, flexibility, and when going prepaid makes sense.
-
Try This One-Minute Test to Uncover Hidden Health RisksFinding out this little-known fact about your body could reveal your risk of heart disease and more. It's a simple, free check for healthy aging.
-
Child-Free Cruises Perfect For Your Retirement CelebrationHow to find a bespoke ocean or river vacation for adults. Many of these options are smaller, charming river cruises, expeditions, or niche experiences.
-
My First $1 Million: Biopharmaceutical Senior Manager, 45, MassachusettsEver wonder how someone who's made a million dollars or more did it? Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series uncovers the answers.
-
Social Security Wisdom From a Financial Adviser Receiving Benefits HimselfYou don't know what you don't know, and with Social Security, that can be a costly problem for retirees — one that can last a lifetime.