Is it bad to get along with a coworker that no one else likes?

There’s a guy at work who no one seems to like. He’s a veteran so he can be a little rough on the edges and from my 9 months of being here, i can tell that not a lot of people like him.

Me and him get along fine and work together on projects all the time. I do think he says certain things he shouldn’t but it really doesn’t bother me that much.

Anyway, he is leaving the company soon and my boss comes over and asks if anyone will “volunteer to work with him, who’s eager to learn, and who works well with him” before he leaves so that we can continue the meetings he leads when he’s gone. While my boss was saying this, he was pretty much hinting that I am the one who should get with him. I think a lot of people see me and him working together a lot and I’m just curious on whether this is seen as a bad thing to get along with someone that no one else gets along with at work?

I know to not follow in the footsteps of this guy and his actions but I’m not sure if people perceive me to be like him if we get along since no one else is fond of him.

Best to be friendly and polite to everyone. Wise to stay out of catty cliques and mobs.

What Wiseman said.

It;s perfectl ok to get along with someone. So what? Noone likes him, you too say that he can say some weird stuff, but you apparently can handle it. It's work, you're not dating; even then, it's none of their business.

If you find yourself against a clique, than you are on the right side.

It takes a special kind of person to see through the lump of coal to see the diamond within. And while that made me throw up in my mouth a little, you'll likely find yourself richer for having gotten to know the guy, while everyone else stands around judging him.

I think a lot of people see me and him working together a lot and I’m just curious on whether this is seen as a bad thing to get along with someone that no one else gets along with at work?

The only way this would be seen as a "bad thing," is by stooping to the level of adults who lack the maturity to behave as said "adults."

Why not be the bigger person, and judge a person on how you see them?

Do you and him do the same work? I’m just wondering why your boss wanted tell you to lead the meetings if you didn’t do the same job or weren’t in the same department. And what does your coworker do that makes him rough around the edges? And do other people just come right out and tell you that they don’t like him? And do you really think the people notice that your friends?

Do you and him do the same work? I’m just wondering why your boss wanted tell you to lead the meetings if you didn’t do the same job or weren’t in the same department. And what does your coworker do that makes him rough around the edges? And do other people just come right out and tell you that they don’t like him? And do you really think the people notice that your friends?

He lead meetings for each department, so anyone of us engineers in any of the 4 departments could technically take over.

He kind of has ptsd and can say some pretty violent things (I’m not sure if he’s said this to anyone else but I have personally heard some from him). Also a lot of my co workers also think he’s lazy since he’s never at work and does whatever he wants and that he doesn’t know anything about stuff he talks about. It’s pretty clear the way people talk about him that they don’t like him.

And yes, people definitely notice we are friends. Some operators in the plant will sometimes ask me where my “buddy” is or where my buddy is going since he’s going to a new company.

I think a lot of people see me and him working together a lot and I’m just curious on whether this is seen as a bad thing to get along with someone that no one else gets along with at work?

Naaah, that's messy kid stuff. Any coworker with a professional bone in his or her body is likely to view you as doing them a favor by engaging the guy so they don't have to. You're taking one for the team. Any coworker without the degree of maturity and professionalism to recognize this isn't worth your investment in the first place.

At work you represent yourself and nobody else. As long as you remain kind to ALL coworkers and don't badmouth anyone, you'll get along professionally. This may or may not mean that you'll be invited into any given group socially. That's a different animal and can be cultivated with people one-on-one over time. If there are any groups that exclude you, then that speaks of a group you're better off not getting involved with socially anyway.

Keep your focus at work on building friendly professional relationships rather than intimate friendships. There are plenty of avenues to find and cultivate intimate friendships outside of work. Keeping your private life private will serve you professionally, and you will thank yourself later.

Head high.