Coworker relationships operate on a delicate balance, perhaps even more than most other kinds of relationships that we have. On the one hand, being polite and cooperative is an essential part of being on a team, and you can be penalized if you don’t embody these qualities. On the other hand, it is important to maintain appropriate boundaries for the sake of professionalism and in some cases, personal sanity. 

As in any environment where we have little choice about who we are surrounded by, there are almost always going to be colleagues who test our limits now and again. This is annoying enough when it happens in the office, but when it also takes place outside of working hours, it can feel like an inescapable punishment. It also makes the issue a lot trickier to navigate. It isn’t as simple as finding places to hide from them in the workplace.