Appropriate Humor at Work

Most working adults don’t laugh much… and especially not at work.  A study shows that babies laugh, on average, 400 times a day whereas adults over the age of 35 laugh only 15 times a day.  Laughter starts to decrease around the age of 23, right around the time that people start working full time.  That’s likely because jokes, gags, slapstick comedy, and especially pranks are frowned on at work… seen as a waste of time or distraction from work.  Even mild humor like puns, irony and parody provokes eye-rolls as often as chuckles.  And not knowing how often to joke and what kind of humor is appropriate at work creates all kinds of HR problems.  So many workers opt to avoid humor altogether rather than get in trouble for kidding around in ways that offend, harass or are seen as just plain lollygagging.

But humor – when used in socially acceptable ways – can be an invaluable workplace tool.  INVALUABLE.  For the sour Sallies and grumpy Gregs of the world, it helps to understand just how beneficial humor is for employees, leaders and businesses.  There’s a direct connection between laughter and profitability.  It actually translates into a better bottom line.  And what CFO isn’t going to smile about that?  Here’s what the research shows about laughter at work.

Laughing All the Way to the Bank

Humor at work improves productivity. In a survey of more than 2,500 employees conducted by Lauren Breeeze at St. Edwards University in 2004, 81% said they believe a fun working environment would make them more productive.  And that has been proven true in many other studies.  But that’s not all.  According to Millicent Abel, in her article in HUMOR Magazine in 2002, humor was also found to reduce stress.  People with a sense of humor report less stress and anxiety than those with a low sense of humor, despite experiencing the same number of problems at work.  Imagine, a simple way to relieve workplace stress is just having people laugh.  And, it also helps increase motivation.  According to an article by B.J. Avolio published in the Academy of Management Journal in 1999, humor in organizations has been proven to improve morale among workers, creating a more positive organizational culture and increasing motivation.  So humor makes employees more productive, less stressed and more motivated.   That’s great for any business.  But what’s in it for the average employee?  A lot.

For employees, humor – as in being funny — increases compensation.  A study found that bonus size correlated positively with the use of humor by executives.  The funnier the executive was, the bigger the bonus received, according to Fabio Sala in his article in Harvard Business Review.  It is also good for the average professional.  Humor boosts a person’s overall brainpower by releasing the chemical serotonin in the brain, which helps improve a person’s focus, objectivity and overall brainpower.  It also improves decision-making.  A positive mood prompted by laughter prompts more flexible decision-making, wider search behavior (looking for solutions to problems) and greater analytic precision.

Humor also boosts creativity.  Unconventional interactions – such as a gag or joke — lowers the barrier for people to suggest novel ideas.  This was found in two studies; one by Theodore Lewis published in the Journal of Technology Education in 2005 and one by Saba Ghayas published in the Journal of Behavioral Sciences in 2013.  Similarly, it was found to trigger new connections and promote divergent thinking.  In fact, just watching comedy films improved creative problem solving skills.

But the benefits don’t end there.  Salespeople might be interested to know that humor gets people to listen. When a person consistently uses ‘appropriate humor’, coworkers and customers will want to read and hear what is being said, according to a study by David Stauffer in Harvard Management.  And, more importantly, it also amps up memory, learning and persuasiveness.  It’s a great tool to use when presenting a message that people disagree with because the humor is disarming and distracts from creating immediate counter arguments.

But most importantly, humor builds connections with others and fosters rapport.  Humor is valued as a social skill.  When exercised judiciously, it is welcomed by others. Sharing humor fosters camaraderie and closeness, promotes friendship by showing commonalities and reduces points of friction. In that way, it closes the gulf between coworkers, and also helps build trust between managers and employees.  In fact, funny leaders are seen as being in charge and in control. And managers displaying a good sense of humor are given more opportunities in organizations than those without a sense of humor.

Clearly, humor can actually enhance a company’s bottom line, a professional’s career and an employee’s well-being.  And that is no joking matter.  So understanding how to infuse humor into the workplace in acceptable amounts and appropriate ways is key…. but also a bit tricky.

What is Appropriate Humor?

What constitutes appropriate workplace humor?  And, are there ways for leaders to improve their sense of humor at work and for workplaces to add more laughter into the daily grind even if employees are working from home? Let’s take a look at kinds of humor and what is best in the workplace.

1. Affiliative humor. This is what we usually think of when we talk about humor… telling jokes about things most would find funny.  The goal of this kind of humor is to bring people together by calling out the things that are funny about everyday life.  Jokes about animals or everyday occurrences reflect affiliative humor.  This humor is great at work.

2. Aggressive humor. This is the kind of humor that HR departments loathe.  It involves put-downs or insults targeting individuals, such as parody or satire. It is often used as a disarming way to harm others.  This is the kind of humor used by bullies.  While some may find this humor funny, most others will laugh to cover up their discomfort.  When leaders use it, it is the kind of humor that increases employee turnover.  When employees use it, it is the kind of humor that dead-ends their upward mobility.  This humor should be avoided at work, and is probably not useful in most social settings.

3. Self-enhancing humor. This kind of humor is self-focused, reflecting an ability to laugh at oneself, such as making a joke when something bad has happened.  It is a form of dark humor to try to lighten the mood.  Being the target of the humor in a good-natured way is usually well received at work.  People appreciate someone who can make light of a situation, as long as it is not something really tragic.  This kind of humor is best used sparingly at work.

4. Self-deprecating humor. This kind of humor involves putting oneself down in an aggressive or “poor me” fashion.  Many comedians have used this tack, referring to themselves as having been an ugly baby or not being the sharpest knife in the cutlery drawer.  Psychologically, this can be an unhealthy. Some use it as a defense… to put the bulls-eye on oneself before someone else does it.  While this doesn’t hurt others, it could hurt a person’s own career as this won’t elicit respect or create deeper bonds with others.  At work, this humor can backfire.

5. Physical humor. This kind of humor involves pranks and gags.  Having a coiled snake pop out of a drawer or jumping out from behind a column to startle someone are examples of gags.  Hiding a coworker’s favorite chair is an example of a prank.  While these can be funny, they can also be a bit aggressive for the person who is the target.  This type of humor can be seen as juvenile.  At work, it should probably be used sparingly and only involve those who can clearly take a joke.

6.  Word Play / Smart humor. This kind of humor involves puns, irony, and dark humor.  It is usually humor used by very intelligent people, but it is the kind of humor that not everyone will understand.  Some of it is okay at work and some is not. This requires judgment, and usually people who use this kind of humor are intelligent enough to glean if it is unacceptable.  This type of humor should be used carefully at work as it will often alienate as much as it engages others.

Here are some tips to ensure that humor is used to improve not detract at work.  Here are the basics.

1. Humor – or the attempt at humor — is not an acceptable excuse for unacceptable behavior.  Discriminatory remarks about such things as age, gender, race or nationality does not become tolerable because it is hidden beneath a veneer of humor.
2. Humor should be used to uplift people, not diminish them.  The goal is to laugh with others, not at them or about them.  Funny is good.  Bullying is not.
3. Humor should come naturally.  It should not be rehearsed or forced.
4. Humor should be used to make people feel more comfortable and at ease; not awkward or anxious.
5. Humor is in the eye of the recipient.  Gags, pranks and practical jokes should be used only if the one on the receiving end will find it funny.
6. Humor should be used to help someone fit in, not stand out.  Humor shouldn’t be used to single someone out and make him/her a target.
7. Humor should not be used as a weapon.  For example, sarcasm is not a permission slip to belittle someone. And adding “just kidding” does not redeem it.

The bottom line is that appropriate humor is good.  The ability to laugh at work and with coworkers (not at them) is a magic elixir that has all kinds of beneficial properties.  The key is to know when, where and how to infuse humor, and ensure it is not at anyone’s expense.  When it comes to humor, a little sensitivity goes a long way, and this not about “political correctness” but about respect and consideration.

Next week, we’ll look at what laughter says about a person in their social hierarchy, and how to read the social cues of laughter.  Do you know what your laugh is saying about you?  Stay tuned.

Speaking of humor, did you hear the one about the wedding?  It was so emotional that even the cake was in tiers.

Quote of the Week

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” Charles Dickens

© 2021, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.