The Society for Human Resource Management reports that there are as many as five different generations represented in todays workforce, from people born between 1925 and 1942 to those born in the mid-1990s and later. Its not uncommon for someone at the beginning of their career to work closely in a job alongside someone who is decades into theirs.

Sure, all that time together can create tension there are countless articles dedicated to generational divides at work. In one survey , older workers reported worrying that they come across as stubborn and grumpy to colleagues, while younger workers reported worry they come across as unmotivated or irresponsible to colleagues. But newer research indicates that these differences are actually overblown and based on stereotypes.

Age can be a boundary in getting to know a co-worker on a deeper level, but it doesnt have to be. Take it from these four pairs of friends, who created bonds with colleagues who are much older or younger than them. Their friendships sustained them through promotions, divorces, retirement and a global pandemic.

Interviews have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Kristine Lee, 38, and Stella Segura, 62