When friends become colleagues

Your friend isn't JUST your friend anymore. Now that she's a colleague, the rules of the relationship have shifted. If you don't manage this change well, both your work and your personal life will suffer even more.

Talk to her about how you communicate in front of clients. Do it nicely by saying, 'I'm concerned that by being so casual with each other we aren't giving a good impression to customers. For example, the other day when you said 'X' it made me uncomfortable, and it may have seemed odd to the customer too.'

As for her talking about her boyfriends at work, tell her that you want to make her look good (since she got you the job) so you really need to focus more on work. While you're at it, ask her if she’s unhappy with anything you're doing. Chances are that if you’re feeling uncomfortable and irritated with her, she’s feeling the same way about you.

You can also make the line between work and friendship even sharper by telling her that you don't want to talk about work outside the office because you'd rather just enjoy being friends.

These relationships can be tricky, and you have to make the effort to make them work. But it’s up to you to decide whether this one’s worth putting back on track. I suspect it is.

Live Q&A on Ask The Expert
Employment lawyer Rachel Lewis advises on your work-related issues