There are all types of problems that can be associated with workplace environments from who get what desk or office, who goes to lunch first or with whom, break times, work load, room temperature, and many other conditions that can create unease amongst employees.
From workplace problems come the creation of inner office political alliances. It’s unrealistic to expect to avoid politics altogether in any office environment but you should never allow yourself to get so caught up in them that it causes problems for you and others.
No matter what job you have, you may find employees who form alliances, or cliques. In most instances, a clique starts out as either people who form close friendships and then use their alliance to make it easy on themselves, or to make it hard on others.
Sometimes, cliques get out of hand, hurting working relationships with those who don't agree with their specific agenda, or they simply turn into a hateful group of people who find strength in numbers and target other employees with their wrath.
Cliques can be very childish in manner, mean spirited, and intimidating to other employees, which in turn, causes stress and discontent in the workplace.
Favoritism is another form of politics that can be found in the workplace. This form of politics creates an atmosphere of tension, resentment, and a general loss of trust between employees in any type of workplace environment. A great deal of favoritism may exist when there are family members or close friends in the workplace.
You may get away with doing certain things at work, but you are still under the auspices of company policy. Freedom of speech, by law, is a right of all citizens, but even freedom of speech has it's limits, especially in the workplace.
Cliques and favoritism can be very harmful to a company's workplace environment. In reality, employees who promote the forming of cliques and those who practice favoritism don't have the company's best interest at heart.