Workplace banter is a seemingly inseparable part of many professions, particularly when the work is repetitive or tedious. It can feel like a harmless way to ease tension and strengthen team bonds—and in male-dominated industries like construction, finance, tech, or manufacturing, it’s often not just tolerated, but seen as a rite of passage.
But there’s a crucial line between friendly teasing and a workplace culture that marginalises, excludes, or harms people who don’t feel part of the group.
What we’ve found through our training is that, in many of these environments, people actually want to change, and are genuinely striving to build better, more inclusive workplaces. When people are so ingrained in a culture, they can be surprised to learn how behaviours they’ve always accepted—or even participated in—may not only be harming the business they work for, but also hurting themselves.
‘It’s just a bit of banter’
We all know the idea behind ‘banter’. For many people, it’s a fundamental part of the British identity. The ability to take and make jokes is part of the crucible of growing up, and a need not to take yourself too seriously. When work doesn’t feel that much like work, and colleagues feel more like friends, it’s easy to lapse into these kinds of relationships, and break the normal boundaries we expect in workplaces. The kinds of things that might get you sacked (or at least a good talking to) in some jobs can end up being part of the scenery in others.
What we don’t always appreciate is the extent to which these conventional boundaries are useful. There’s a sense that the rules and structures of an office environment are unnecessarily stifling, and the price you pay for that kind of work. On a worksite or in a factory, being able to talk freely and with few repercussions can feel like part of the appeal. That is, if anyone thinks about it at all: for many people, it’s simply the way things work, and it wouldn’t occur to them to question it.
There are two realities that this is starting to butt up against. The first is the encroachment of the modern world, and the increasing sense that insults and off-colour jokes aren’t acceptable. That’s true not just in terms of some of the things being said and opinions being shared, but also the way this kind of culture disadvantages people, particularly their mental health. The second is the ongoing labour crisis in many of these industries, and the conflict between needing to recruit more widely, and needing to make industries like construction more appealing to different demographics.
Casual and structural sexism
Banter can be light-hearted, but it’s also easy for it to turn toxic. It can create cliques and shift power dynamics, make someone feel unwelcome, and create an environment where people feel they have to tolerate being upset or uncomfortable just to fit in. For women entering male-dominated professions, this kind of culture can be particularly isolating. Comments about their appearance, their capabilities, or the implication that they’re ‘too sensitive’ if they speak up about feeling uncomfortable can diminish people’s confidence and their sense of belonging.
This isn’t just about overt harassment, but little daily comments and dismissive attitudes that can wear someone down, and chip away at their sense of value over time. These are what you might call ‘microaggressions’, and they can be blatant or casual. Joking about a female colleague’s place on a worksite or expecting them to get you a cuppa might not always be meant with malice, but it contributes to a culture that tells women they don’t belong.
There are also structural issues that can compound this. The absence of basic facilities, like adequate women’s toilets and sanitary supplies, or properly fitted uniforms, sends a subtle but powerful message that the work and workplace aren’t designed for them. When a woman entering a site office has to walk ten minutes to find a toilet, or has to buy their own gear, they can feel like they’re fighting an uphill battle, and one that nobody’s there to help them with.
Building a better culture
A toxic workplace culture disadvantages people outside of the group, but it can also be damaging for everyone within it. It’s a cliche that men don’t like to express vulnerability, but it’s still broadly true, and nowhere more than these kinds of male-dominated environments. The feeling that showing any kind of ‘weakness’ is going to make you a target for ‘banter’ by your colleagues can be enough to stop you speaking up. This encourages people to bottle up their mental health struggles, stress, or burnout—leading to isolation, depression, and an aversion to seeking help.
The good news is that change is possible, and it often begins with awareness. Many of the professionals who attend our Behaviour & Conduct in the Workplace course want to improve their workplace culture, but simply haven’t been taught how to recognise where the line is. They may not realise that the ‘banter’ they’re used to could be pushing colleagues away, or creating an environment that’s making people unhappy, breaking their concentration, and making them less safe and less effective at their jobs. One of the major benefits of this course is providing the context people need to understand why certain behaviours and language can hurt people, and not just telling people what they can and can’t do or say.
A more inclusive culture doesn’t mean a ‘no-fun allowed’ environment. You can make jokes that don’t bring other people down. It’s just about recognising the topics and the pressure points that make people unhappy. It’s about fostering an environment where people feel respected, safe, and seen, regardless of who they are and where they come from. It’s about learning more about your colleagues to know where the line is—and making them confident enough that you care about the things that make them uncomfortable.
This all starts with training. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training has gotten a bad rap, we’ve seen our course make a tangible difference to companies and their employees. This kind of training isn’t about policing language or enforcing a certain mindset, but rather helping colleagues to communicate better, and highlighting the ways that a hostile and unwelcoming workplace disadvantages all parties. The training helps you to reflect on your own language and assumptions, and identify behaviours and structural issues that could be turning away valuable talent.
And finally…
Ultimately, a healthy workplace culture isn’t about policing fun—it’s about ensuring that everyone is happy, comfortable, and able to do their best work. As more businesses recognise this, we’re proud to support them on their journey from banter to genuine belonging.
If you’re looking to foster a more inclusive, respectful, and high-performing workplace, our training programmes are designed to help your team build awareness, skills, and confidence. Check out our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) course or our Managing Poor Performance & Difficult Employees course, or browse other subjects in the menus above
