Humour in the workplace can help to create a positive work environment and improve relationships between colleagues. What one person finds funny may offend or be inappropriate for another. April Fool’s Day is often marked by office pranks. But without proper consideration, they can have serious consequences.
Kate Palmer, director of employment services at Peninsula, warns employers that pranks may sometimes be taken too far, even though they are meant to have fun. She warns that an innocent joke can escalate to grievances or harassment claims, and even legal action.
If an employee feels bullied by jokes at work, this could be considered bullying. She says that they may leave or raise a complaint, which could put you at risk for a constructive dismissal claim. She said that if the joke involved , a protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act it could result in a discrimination complaint and financial penalties to the employer.
Humour in the workplace: How to manage it professionally
Palmer suggests that businesses adopt a proactive strategy by establishing clear policies regarding bullying, harassment, and workplace behavior. By ensuring that employees are aware of these policies, they can prevent problems from occurring.
She advises that it’s best to keep April Fool’s Day celebrations at the office as low-key as possible. If a company does allow pranks to be played, it should do so with consideration and without causing offense.
She says: “Know who you are talking to – changing the screensaver of a colleague to an embarrassing picture could cause offense; changing food labels can cause problems if someone is allergic to food, and putting a Whoopee Cushion under your boss’s seat will not go down well.”
Palmer says that harmless, simple pranks can be played without going over the top. For example, a sign on a coffee machine saying it’s voice-activated. Or filling the doughnut box up with unintentional contents. She added that the key to office pranks was maintaining professionalism, understanding the audience and making sure the humor was appropriate.
