[BrenBarn]

This is interesting because there can be a fine line between camaraderie and insularism. A feel-good atmosphere among workers is good, but if it doesn't include everyone, it can lead to favoritism towards those in the group relative to those outside, and that's not good. This can be especially important when people who aren't part of the org at all come into the equation (e.g., leading to the classic experience where a customer gets the feeling they're being a bother by expecting employees to help them rather than continue their private banter).

I think it's healthy to have these off-topic spaces, but also important to make sure that everyone in the org has some such space that meets their needs, and that everyone understands where the line is for when you have to put the fun aside and do what needs to be done.

[moomin]

A very common specialisation of this is drinking culture. Some guys just plain don't drink and definitely don't drink as much as the drinking culture would require, some women bluntly don't feel safe around a bunch of guys getting drunk. Managers who drink can lead to this weird thing where going out drinking feels mandatory. Shout out to my last manager who definitely did drink and didn't have a drinking culture.