Navigating Workplace Humor: An HR Perspective

Human resource departments need to understand how to appropriately manage workplace humor and boundaries. They need to establish guidelines that provide insight for managers and employees within the business and also manage situations of inappropriate humor that may arise. Here is how HR departments should manage humor in the workplace.

When should humor be used?

Humor can play an important role in a variety of different workplace situations. Employees who use humor effectively will find it helps them in situations such as:

• Creating an icebreaker in a presentation. Whether it is starting a regularly-scheduled internal meeting or a presentation at an industry event, a well-placed joke can help bring everyone together and create a positive start to the talk.
• Securing support from clients or co-workers. When discussing an issue or pitching a solution, employees who can use a well-timed, well-received joke can secure support from co-workers and clients alike.
• Lightening the atmosphere. When employees work together day-in-and-day-out, knowing how to make the occasional, appreciated joke can help lighten the atmosphere and make the work environment more enjoyable.

However, as people start to think about using workplace humor, it can help to also review the importance of role models.

The importance of role models in the workplace

Managers play a critical role in establishing workplace norms for humor. They help set the tone for what is and is not appropriate. Therefore, managers and other leaders within the business need to be given strict guidelines on what types of jokes they should not tell so that they can nurture a positive office culture. 

Those promoted to these positions should also have the self-awareness to make wise choices about their jokes. If managers begin to tell jokes that skirt the guidelines on appropriate humor, they can encourage other people to also make off-color quips.

What types of humor fit in a positive workplace?

Certain types of humor fit best within a positive office culture and encourage the desired light-hearted atmosphere within the workplace. Here are some general guidelines about the type of humor that should be avoided to stay within those parameters.

Do not tell aggressive jokes. Any jokes that are aggressive towards a particular employee, such as teasing people, should be avoided as this can damage relationships within teams.

Do not make anyone the butt of jokes. Make sure that jokes do not target a particular person, group of people, or classes of people that might make people feel as though they are being laughed at.

Do not undermine anyone. Jokes that might undermine coworkers can quickly lead to resentment and poor workplace relationships. They can also make listeners uncomfortable.

Do not joke about recent major events, particularly tragedies. It can be difficult to gauge when people would view the jokes positively, and it can be easy to accidentally tell a joke ‘too soon’ for people’s taste.

Those who enjoy making jokes should also pay attention to the timing and placement of the jokes. For a team operating in a crisis mode or during crunch time, someone standing off to the side telling jokes might not be looked upon positively by the rest of the team, who might see this as obnoxious and tone-deaf. Professionals also want to carefully gauge the difference between being a light-hearted, funny person and crossing over to be a ‘class clown.’

For those who want a yardstick to measure whether to tell a joke, it can help to imagine telling the joke in front of a wide audience, instead of just a couple of people at work. Consider whether the joke would land well and how it would reflect on the rest of the business.

As a rule of thumb, professionals should avoid telling any jokes that mock any protected classes, play into stereotypes about groups of people, reflect negatively on a colleague, or go into political territory. If you are unsure of how a joke might land with an audience, it is always best to leave the joke untold to avoid unforeseen problems.

What HR should do if humor does not seem to fit

Of course, even with business guidelines like the above, HR departments occasionally encounter inappropriate workplace jokes. Here are some strategies HR departments can use to evaluate if a joke is problematic and what they should do about managing humor at work.

• Pay attention to the dynamics of the office culture and watch the humor coming from different parties. Remember that jokes from managers will likely land differently compared to jokes from other employees.
• Speak with an employee if you notice them telling jokes that fall outside the office culture. Qualify the expectations of the company culture so that you can tell your employees why their jokes have fallen outside expectations and how they conflict with the environment you hope to create in the business.
• Speak with employees if their jokes disrupt the workplace or create tension within teams. You want everyone to work together well, and if jokes disrupt teamwork, then you want to nip that in the bud.
• Have a system in place for employees to report inappropriate jokes, including allowing them to report disruptions anonymously. This makes it easy for people to report comments and jokes that may have made them feel uncomfortable. It can also help you detect any patterns that should be addressed before it becomes a major problem for the business.
• Create a plan for mitigating problems and improving teamwork in the event of inappropriate jokes. Having strategies in place, such as team training, can help to stop problems before they occur. They can also provide quantifiable action for the business to take if an inappropriate joke occurs.

Humor can be an excellent outlet for business professionals and can even help bring teams together. However, the HR department needs to pay close attention to the tone of the jokes and the atmosphere they create to make sure jokes and humor do not become disruptive. Knowing how to manage humor in the workplace can help everyone work together effectively.

Don't let uncertainty about workplace humor hamper your organization's culture. Contact us today for a free HR consultation, and let us help you create an inclusive and harmonious workplace environment.