QOTD - How do you deal with work cliques?

I wanted to answer today at work but decided to wait until I got home. But not for a bad reason.

At first I thought work was very clique-ish. But it really isn't. There's 2 ladies I work with that have known each other since they were kids. One got the other one her job there. So they are close. And there's another girl there they are close with. They are all from the islands so they bond. That's cool. And yes sometimes they go to lunch together but I don't mind that. I rather eat alone and read my magazine or paper or take a nap. And then sometimes the 'old crew' (ie: the ones that have been there 10+ years) get together and talk about things like raises and stuff and that bothers me a bit but whatever, it's not a huge deal. For the most part we all get along.

ETA: I did work at a school once that was VERY clique-ish with the teachers. To the point that they were worse with their little groups than the students were! That bothered me alot.
I only worked there for 1 year though.

How do you deal with work cliques?

You JOIN them!

i work in a small (ever growing) office of MOSTLY woman, we recently added a guy, and on our corp side our controller and IT guy as well as one of our owners are guys...my compnay works a very interestingly...

we are a VERY close group! we actually all get along very well, and when we make a new hire, we make sure to pull them into it as well...

at first i was a little nervous about this...but 2 years later, even on the weekeneds i cant wait for mondays because i LOVE my office, my job etc.

There are cliques at my school with the different teachers. It's usually the old teachers against the young teachers. My first year teaching I was one of two young teachers that first came to this school. No one spoke to me, helped me or anything!

I got into a fight with the school secretary in front of the whole staff because she said good morning and I didn't say it back to her 'loud enough' I turned around and said (in the faculty room), ' Well none of you ever say hello, good morning, do you need help or anything to me, so why should I be friendly to you?' After that all I got was...can i help you, how are you doing...blah blah blah. They didn't think I was coming back the next year so when I walked in the doors to set up my classroom in late August...you should have seen their mouths hit the floor.

BTW>>>I'm still working there too!!

how do i deal? i don't...

i am friends with who i like regardless of cliques. i maintain a professional demeanor with everyone and have my life outside of work!