A Laughing Matter – Does Humor Belong in the Workplace?

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Did you know that the average six-year-old child laughs 300 times a day?  It’s a stark contrast to the average adult who only laughs an average of 15 times daily.  To some, even 15 may seem high.

Research shows that laughter has many physical and psychological benefits such as stimulating the immune system, decreasing “stress” hormones, and increasing endorphins.  These benefits also translate to the workplace.  It’s been shown that a little humor and fun can increase productivity, enhance team building, and improve morale.  In a time where employees are consistently being required to work harder and faster, the ability to de-stress and laugh is even more important.

It’s important to remember that not all humor is created equally. Much like the character of clueless paper company regional manager, Michael Scott, in the hit NBC television show, “The Office,” individuals who make exclusive or offensive jokes may not realize that their attempts at humor may affect employees negatively, causing them to feel uncomfortable, angry, or upset. 

“In general, strive for humor that is inclusive, creative and captures our human essence. All of us know that sexist, racist, ageist jokes and crude humor are not only inappropriate, but can lead to sanctions, termination or even lawsuits. In addition, be sensitive when telling jokes involving terminations, and personal tragedies. Their hurt can linger long after the fact,” explained Dr. Joni Johnston in the HR.com article, “Lessons From the Humor Police: How to Evaluate Workplace Humor.”

So how do you incorporate well-intentioned laughter and smiles at work? Bob Nelson, President of Nelson Motivation, suggests the following creative ideas in the Inc.com article, “Fun at Work: Enliven Your Culture.”

·      Make it more meaningful. Incorporate a sense of fun into your corporate award presentations.  Fun keeps them from being cookie-cutter experiences and makes the awards more memorable for recipients at no additional expense. For example, have a chorus sing a letter of praise, have a treasure hunt or a drawing, crown someone with paper clips, or create a bulletin board devoted to each reward recipient and ask for written contributions from the entire staff.

·       Start out right. At Business First in Louisville, Ky., the advertising department sends a broadcast voice mail daily with a motivational message – a joke, a success story, or whatever helps employees enjoy what they do for a living.

·       A soapy celebration. Hire high school students to wash employees' cars in the parking lot.

The possibilities for incorporating humor into the workplace are endless.  "There are a number of different strategies. I think it's fine to have books of cartoons, some anthologies of Dilbert and The Far Side, or whatever makes you happy, on hand for a five-minute happy break," says Susan Bixler, president of The Professional Image Inc. in the Linkage article, “A Little Workplace Humor Might Get People Back On Track.” "It's a whole lot more to laugh with other people. It's an act of release. It's an act of camaraderie."

Lee Kricher, regional vice president for Linkage Inc., believes that allowing time for humor in the workplace is a sign of a good leader.  Says Kricher, “when you think about the fact that such a large portion of our lives is spent at the workplace – for that to be a humorless existence, that really doesn't make sense.  I think a huge part of a role of a leader is to make that extensive time that peoples' lives are in the workplace under your sphere of influence an enjoyable environment. When you talk about retention, one of the top reasons people give is, 'I don't enjoy my job'.”

Remember, you don’t have to be a stand-up comedian to incorporate humor into your workplace.  Sometimes just having the ability to laugh at yourself, and share that laugh with your employees, is enough to make everyone relax and smile.