Your Boss on Facebook

Dear Katie & Kelly: My boss just asked me to be his Facebook friend. We have a great rapport but I want to keep my work separate from my home life. Is it okay to turn him down or is that a dumb move career wise?

Signed: Flummoxed in Florida

Dear Flummoxed: Of course, it’s okay to turn him down. You are not obligated to accept anybody’s Facebook friend request, even your bosses. We would, however, counsel you to turn down your boss a little more diplomatically than some weirdo you barely know. As you said, you have a great rapport, he could simply think his request is just another extension of said rapport but it technically could also qualify as harassment. Simply tell him that you don’t ever mix social media with work — “It’s a bad cocktail, man!” It’s nothing personal, just business. But before you do anything, make sure you truly keep work separate from home and you’re not Facebook friends with other colleagues. If you are, it in no way changes our advice about your boss’s request. But, we’re betting it might change how he sees your rejection of his request since your whole “I don’t mix social media with work” is actually B.S. in that case. You might want to consider being consistent with your stand across the board.

Good luck! K & K