The free food, gyms, massages and other things are companies trying to encroach on the area of the Third Place ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place ) in order to keep people in the office longer.
In trying to take on the activities of the third place, they've also inadvertently taken on the rules of the third place - but those things that need to be part of the third place are counter to being at work (the second place... the first place is home).
If you're talking about politics and have a person who you report to (or reports to you) as part of that conversation, the discussion gets to one where you're walking on eggshells.
I believe that the third place and the workplace are inherently different environments and the more the workplace tries to be that third place, the more these sorts of conflicts of what the different places mean and how they operate will come to light.
The free food, gyms, massages and other things are companies trying to encroach on the area of the Third Place ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place ) in order to keep people in the office longer.
In trying to take on the activities of the third place, they've also inadvertently taken on the rules of the third place - but those things that need to be part of the third place are counter to being at work (the second place... the first place is home).
If you're talking about politics and have a person who you report to (or reports to you) as part of that conversation, the discussion gets to one where you're walking on eggshells.
I believe that the third place and the workplace are inherently different environments and the more the workplace tries to be that third place, the more these sorts of conflicts of what the different places mean and how they operate will come to light.