OK, so maybe not BFFs. But are you simply polite strangers? How close are you with your manager?
A new study by Olivet Nazarene University set out to identify trends in boss-employee relationships to see what the new “normal” is. The university surveyed 3,000 Americans about different barometers of closeness.
The majority of respondents (68%) say they have their boss’s personal phone number. The numbers start dropping as the measures of closeness increase: 34-percent of people say they’ve asked their boss for advice on personal issues, and 32-percent say they are Facebook friends with their employer.
Outside the office, 24-percent of respondents say they’ve visited their employer’s home and hung out with them socially, while only 15-percent say they’ve invited their employer to their home. Only five-percent say they’ve gone so far as to exercise with their boss.
Olivet Nazarene University also identified industry trends: Those working in the real estate field responded with the highest level of familiarity with their boss, while those working in science-related fields say they are “least” familiar.
See the data here.