Why You Shouldn’t Try to Be Funny at Work, According to Science

So you’re the cut-up at the copy machine? Don’t be so sure that your coworkers aren’t laughing behind your back. While several “how to get ahead” websites and books recommend humor as a way to win over the office staff, Fast Company dug up several studies that suggest you should keep the gags to yourself. 

The main reason: You’re not a professional comedian, and punchlines in the wrong hands can easily backfire. “People find jokes funny when they break rules while seeming harmless,” cautions Fast Company. “Miss one of those ingredients when you tell a joke, and your audience won’t appreciate it.” 

Exhibit A: David Brent in the U.K. version of The Office. He understands the “break the rules” part during this training exercise, but can’t deliver on the “seeming harmless” end of things.

The phenomenon was reinforced in Peter McGraw’s The Humor Code, which described a contest among business students to write the funniest captions. Unfortunately, the captions judged to be the funniest were also the ones that were rated as the most distasteful. The conclusion — it’s hard to be funny without offending, and it’s better not to try at all.

Fast Company claims this is especially true for women, as “robust literature” says ladies get more backlash than men for “offensive behavior” like showing anger or acting dominantly. I’m not sure that translates to bad punchlines, but take it for what it’s worth.  

The tricky part about being funny at work? If you’re good at it, studies say you get more respect and status. If you’re David Brent, however, research in Science Direct concludes that you lose credibility. Fast Company advises against taking the risk. 

Another problem if you’re a David Brent and you don’t know it? Employees might laugh anyway, not wanting to offend and figuring it’s best to play along, according to an Academy of Management study. But doing so “drains energy, reduces job satisfaction and increases burnout.”

If you’re a female version of Brent, it’s even worse — women who use humor in presentations are judged as less capable than men, according to Harvard Business Review.

So what do you do, Office Funny Guy, if you want to use your comedy skills at work? 

Fast Company suggests that instead of being a wiseass, you should think like a comedian. When brainstorming business solutions, take the advice of ad guru David Ogilvy, who said, “The best ideas come as jokes. Try to make your thinking as funny as possible.”

That doesn’t mean jotting down funny lines — it’s using comedian thinking, like “flipping expectations, leveraging their networks, and finding their niche.” Henny Youngman’s joke is used as an example: “When I read about the dangers of drinking, I gave up... reading.” 

Do the business version, Fast Company says, and challenge an obvious assumption.

Sure, okay. But here’s the problem: If the premise is that managers aren’t naturally funny, why would they be good at translating Henny Youngman-style thinking to business brainstorming? If Michael Scott doesn’t have the good sense not to regurgitate a Chris Rock routine during a meeting, how can we expect him to apply punchline rigor to sales solutions?

Maybe you’re better off forwarding that meme and calling it a day.