As we all are very well aware that trying to remain a relevant part of today’s twenty first century business world is no easy task at all and this having been said we are constantly trying to better ourselves so that we can continuously prove to our co workers as well as superiors in the office that we are indeed an indispensable part of the company.
Yet, just because you have to constantly deliver top quality work in the office it certainly does not imply that you cannot have some fun. Given here is a list on the pros and cons of fun and humor in the work place.
| Pros of Fun and Humor in the Workplace | Cons of Fun and Humor in the Workplace |
| Employees are able to forge meaningful friendships | Employees might not focus on the tasks at hand |
| Lightens the tense atmosphere at the office | Things might end up getting out of hand and undisciplined |
| Reduces the work stress levels of the employees | It might come across to clients that the staff is immature |
| Helps the employees to work better as a team | Someone might end up feeling bad and hurt |
| They create memories which will last them a lifetime | Employees might end up feeling uncomfortable |
| There is no negativity and ill will between the workers | Who has the time to settle disputes which might arise owing to such fun? |
| The barriers between workers are broken down | The office is a place for serious work |
Pros of Fun and Humor in the Workplace:
1. Employees are able to forge meaningful friendships:
One of the most obvious pros of fun and humor in the work place is that employees are able to forge some meaningful friendships in the work place.
The business world is a cut throat one indeed and you will not be able to forge any meaningful office relationships as well as friendships, yet there are exceptions to this and if you have a good rapport with your co workers you can go on to develop this friendship beyond the confines of your office.
Having good friends who will be there to cheer you up with fun and humor is something hard to find indeed.
2. Lightens the tense atmosphere at the office:
We live in a technological era where there is so much intense competition between not merely companies but also between the different employees in the same office.
So when the employees are able to have fun with one another and crack humorous jokes, then this automatically lightens the mood and the tension at the office.
If your office is one where the atmosphere is made light owing to this fun as well as humor, then you know how much it helps you when it comes to making you feel a lot better. Some offices have such a tension filled oppressive atmosphere which makes things very unpleasant.
3. Reduces the work stress levels of the employees:
A little fun as well as humor in the workplace is something which can go a long way in alleviating the stress levels of the employees.
So if you are a senior or a boss at any company you should not worry about this little fun and jest, provided it is done in good humor.
It really helps to make the employees feel light at ease, rather than feeling burdened and bowed down by the work which they have to complete.
Owing to the pressures of the workplace so many people across the globe are suffering from various ailments like heart disease, hyper tension or even mental stress.
4. Helps the employees to work better as a team:
Employees are constantly trying to outdo themselves with each project that has been entrusted to them and no matter what they always try their level best to deliver top quality work at all times as well as under all circumstances.
This having been said, employees should understand that as long as they are doing their best they need not worry about anything else.
Teamwork in the workplace will help them a lot. A little healthy competition is good but it should not go out of hand. A little fun and humor in the workplace is therefore extremely good as it helps the employee to work as a comprehensive unit rather than separate entities.
5. They create memories which will last them a lifetime:
Mostly, employees do not work in only one company from the beginning to the end of their career, they work in number of institutions which helps them to grow as not only workers but also as individuals.
When individuals have decided to move on from one company to the next, what they carry with them is not merely their individual accomplishments but they also carry away with them the memories which they have been able to make, with their co workers and colleagues. So fun and humor at the work place is good in helping employees create fond memories.
6. There is no negativity and ill will between the workers:
Enmity as well as ill will between employees is something which most certainly takes a toll on all parties concerned. So when there is fun and office humor in the workplace then automatically people start seeing people for who they really are.
Ill will between employees is something which is absolutely detrimental to the success of the company, so at all points in time, the senior or manager at the company should try and encourage such fun and good sense of humor so that everyone can come together as a family, rather than being isolated in the confines of their own cabin or cubicle.
7. The barriers between workers are broken down:
Humor and fun activities at work is something which can go a long way in serving as ice breakers which actually help employees unite and be stronger.
When such narrow barriers between employees are broken down then they feel no qualms in asking each other funny questions as well as consulting each other when they have some problems, questions or even some doubts which have been plaguing their mind.
When employees forget everything and put their heads together to come up with solutions to problems then the quality of work delivered will be outstanding.
8. People look forward to coming to office:
As we all know when the atmosphere at work is too repressive then we automatically begin to feel bowed down and we do not even look forward to coming into the office on some days.
Yet if we are well aware of the fact that no matter what, we will have the fun and humor of the workplace to keep your spirits up, we automatically start feeling a lot better about coming into the office.
9. Employees think in a positive manner:
Such a positive conducive atmosphere at work, owing to the fun activities in office and humor between the employees really goes a long way in encouraging the employees do their best at all cost.
We all know, that some days at the office are an absolute drag where it seems like the clock isn’t even moving, on such days having a positive atmosphere can really help take your mind off the clock and help the day fly by without you even knowing it.
It is only once you have been in an office that has an atmosphere like this, that you will know what a blessing in disguise it is.
Cons of Fun and Humor in the Workplace:
1. Employees might not focus on the tasks at hand:
As we are all well aware that everything in moderation is good as well as acceptable, yet if there is too much of fun as well as humor in the workplace then naturally, chances are that rather than focusing on the task at hand employees will rather spend too much of their time poking fun at one another and whiling away their time in jest.
Keeping the employees in good humor and employees having a good rapport with one another are positive things indeed but at the end of the day employees are certainly not being paid high sums of money to have a good time.
2. Things might end up getting out of hand and undisciplined:
Needless to say that when jokes and having fun at work are involved, it will certainly not be accompanied by silence as well as discipline. As long as the work jokes are being cracked and people are laughing and giggling, there is going to be a certain amount of noise as well as chaos.
Throughout the day companies have investors as well as top business entrepreneurs walking through the doors of the office and if they notice such indiscipline in the work place then this is certainly not going to go down very well with them and they might walk out of the office with a negative impression in mind.
3. It might come across to clients that the staff is immature:
It is only with the money given by clients as well as investors that the company will be able to survive. So it happens that the clients get the impression that your staff is immature then chances are that they will certainly not be willing to invest their hard earned money in your company.
As a boss or manager of a company, it is up to you whether you would like to have such fun and few types of humor at the office which will come at the cost of your company missing out on some invaluable business opportunities.
4. Someone might end up feeling bad and hurt:
Very often such jokes as well as such humor and laughter can result in hurting the feelings as well as sensibilities of an individual even if he or she might not actually admit it.
There are some people who are thick skinned and can take any jokes which are directed at them, yet at the other end of the spectrum there are also those people who take things very personally and get extremely touchy when jokes become even a little personal.
So sometimes rather than having such problems it is better that such fun as well as humor is avoided entirely.
5. Employees might end up feeling uncomfortable:
When there are too many jokes being passed at the expense of one person alone, then chances are that person is going to feel a little uncomfortable and as a result might go into a shell, rather than coming out and mixing with everyone else.
As we all must have noticed at some point of time or the other that usually it is one person who becomes the butt of all the jokes, so this is one of the major cons of fun as well as humor in the work place and in the event of this person reaching his breaking point, there might be a huge fight.
6. Who has the time to settle disputes which might arise owing to such fun?
In the event of things getting out of hand and there being a huge row in the work place then who is going to take the time out to settle such quarrels as well as fights? So instead of alleviating stress in the workplace as well as lightening the mood with too many jokes about work can also cause a lot more unnecessary tension in the minds of those concerned.
In addition to this some people might get too carried away and even begin to pass inappropriate jokes as comments which will be incredibly unsavory.
7. The office is a place for serious work:
Last but certainly not the least is that the office is a place for serious work to be done and it is better that employees do not overly attached to one another as in the event of getting too close to one another they might start getting their personal as well as professional lives tangled up into one.
So employees have the freedom to do whatever they would like to do, beyond the walls of the office, yet once they step into the confines of the office it is always better that they maintain a professional distance with one another and also act in a cordial and respectful manner.
Conclusion:
So these are some of the chief pros and cons of fun as well as humor in the work place. There is some truth in the common saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dumb boy, implying that only doing your work, without even taking a break is something which isn’t always a positive thing.
However this having been said too many funny office jokes and too much humor might get out of hand, causing employees to get distracted from their work. So as long as things are kept in moderation and the sensibilities of no one are hurt in the course of such light hearted humor it is perfectly acceptable.
