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No joke: Office humor can actually be good for business

Work got you stressed out? Perhaps you just need to laugh about it. Because studies indicate that humor is actually good for business, many companies are now seeking out laughter as a way to keep employee morale high. And research has consistently shown that encouraging employees to have a little fun at the office helps to improve teamwork, productivity and creativity.

A healthy dose of laughter
The benefits of laughter and fun have long been promoted by the health and wellness industry. The publication of Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient by Norman Cousins generated national interest. The book documents the author's recovery from ankylosing spondylitis, a progressive, crippling spinal disease. Cousins attributed the facilitation of his recovery to self-prescribed daily doses of humor, which he said resulted in two hours of pain-free sleep after only ten minutes of belly laughter.

People doubted the health and laughter connection in 1979 when Cousins published his book. Even Cousins, who learned of his diagnosis in the 1960s, delayed talking about the health benefits of laughter. "I was reluctant to write about it for many years because I was fearful of creating false hopes in others who were similarly afflicted," wrote Cousins.

Over the years, research has shown repeatedly that people feel better after they experience a good laugh. An online search reveals a large number of laughter resources, including clubs, consultants and "laughter yoga" therapy, to name a few. The benefits of laughter have been linked to improvements in blood flow, immune system response, blood sugar levels, and relaxation and sleep. (1)

While many people today will agree on the connection between laughter and good health, can similar benefits be gained by bringing laughter and fun into the workplace?

Having fun on the job
There really is a sound business rationale for fun in the workplace. In stressful situations, laughter can diffuse tension, bringing coworkers closer together. By reducing stress, many employees are able to better focus on the task at hand and make fewer errors in their work. A little humor goes a long way by helping create a more productive and creative work environment -- which in turn, is good for the business' bottom line.

The findings in a November 2002 SHRM survey indicate that "more than three-quarters of respondents agreed that companies that promote fun at work are more effective than companies that do not." The survey of HR professionals also reports an increase in the importance of fun activities to achieve positive outcomes in the ability to attract new employees and to increase employee enthusiasm and group cohesiveness. (2)

In their book, Fun Is Good, authors Mike Veeck and Pete Williams suggest that fun in the workplace goes beyond laughter and jokes. "It's building relationships and creating an office of community. It's treating coworkers and customers the way they should be treated: with dignity and respect. It's taking a proactive, hustling approach to building a career based on your own interests." (3)

There are companies that have successfully built a business on humor. A good example is Southwest Airlines. With over 30,000 employees, they take a different approach to air travel than their competitors. On its Web site, Southwest Airlines reflects on its history and future. "As you can see, we've been busy these past 36+ years. And we promise that the future will be just as fun-filled and exciting as the last. We've accomplished quite a bit, and along the way we've earned a title no other airline in the industry can claim: the leading low-fare, high-frequency, point-to-point carrier in America. We are proud of our accomplishments, and it just goes to show that time really does fly when you're having fun!" (4)

As a result of their humorous business strategies, the airline has consistently generated high customer and employee satisfaction scores. And among all industries in 2007, FORTUNE magazine listed Southwest Airlines as number five among its top 10 list of America's Most Admired Companies.

When to laugh
While research and anecdotes about companies that promote fun are plentiful, policies and the ability to carry out fun on an ongoing basis can be a challenge. In 2005, Professor Christopher W. LeGrow from Marshall University in West Virginia conducted research on appropriate humor for the workplace. In his paper Making Fun of Coworkers: Analyzing the Content of Workplace Humor, LeGrow discusses the need for defined boundaries to guard against the possibility of negative humor. (5)

HR professionals who participated in the SHRM survey agree that companies need to provide some guidelines to help employees have a clear understanding of appropriate fun in the workplace setting.

In his presentation about humor in the workplace at Ceridian's INSIGHTS customer conference in 2006, Ceridian Marketing vice president, Keith Peterson, shared some humor guidelines:

Avoid:

• Targeting people from other racial or ethnic groups.
• Suggesting you think you're important.
• Targeting anyone lower on the power structure.
• Derogatory remarks about the opposite gender.
• Jokes about sexual preferences.
• Jokes about religion.
• Jokes about other people's appearance.

Do:

• Make the humor appropriate by tying it to the purpose and situation at hand -- the upcoming merger, the new reorganization, difficult situations you must deal with, etc.
• Tell true stories to make your message believable. Stories that are true are often the most funny because of coincidental or improbable turns.
• Use good taste and judgment -- never make others feel uncomfortable.
• Use your own flaws, neuroses and inadequacies (not other people's) to make a point.
• Focus on areas of low ego-involvement -- handwriting, a distinctive laugh, a preference for skiing vs. paperwork, etc. -- that communicate affection, not disdain if you must poke fun at someone else to make a point.

Investing in fun
Respondents to the SHRM survey stated there is an increase in the importance of fun opportunities in the workplace. Those who responded that fun at work is very important in today's workplace nearly doubled the number of those who reported that it was very important a few years earlier.

Many companies have found that by incorporating fun into the corporate culture, the employee retention rate rises. Employees who can laugh at the office and have a good time on the job are more satisfied with their careers and much less likely to seek new employment. As companies look for ways to retain employees, promote creativity and alleviate stress, perhaps an investment in fun might offer a longer term return on investment worth laughing about!

Sources:

1. "Give Your Body a Boost -- With Laughter, Why, for some, laughter is the best medicine," R. Morgan Griffin, http://women.webmd.com/guide/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter.
2. "SHRM Fun Work Environment Survey," November 2002.
3. "Fun is Good: How to Create Joy & Passion in Your Workplace & Career," Mike Veeck and Pete Williams, Rodale, 2005.
4. http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/airborne.html.
5. "Workplace humor not always so funny, study finds," Kathy Gurchiek, March 21, 2007, www.shrm.org.