{{Short description|Humor within a workplace environment}} '''Office humor''', also often called '''workplace comedy''', is humor within the workplace, particularly in the office environment. It is a subject that receives significant attention from students of industrial and organizational psychology and of the sociology of work, as well as in popular culture.

==Academic considerations== Humor is an inevitable part of the social environment of work, and has been argued to be a potential tool for improving worker satisfaction and organizational results. Studies have suggested that humor can increase worker cohesiveness, creativity, motivation, persistence and resilience in the face of adversity.<ref name="Wijewardena">Wijewardena, Nilupama, Hartel, Charmine E. J., and Samaratunge, Ramanie. "A laugh a day is sure to keep the blues away: managers' use of humor and the construction and destruction of employees' resilience." In Wilfred J. Zerbe, Charmine E. J. Härtel and Neal M. Ashkanasy, eds., ''Emotions and Organizational Dynamism'' (Emerald Group Publishing, 2010), {{ISBN|978-0857241771}}, pp. 259-278. [https://books.google.com/books?id=xMeFWEqdpMUC&dq=%22workplace+humor%22&pg=PA259 Excerpts available] at Google Books.</ref><ref>Stephanie Dolgoff, [https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-287751410 "Funny business: why workplace teams that share laughs do better and more profitable work. (Yup, office yuks have been studied!)."]{{dead link|date=July 2021}} ''SUCCESS'', May 1, 2012.</ref><ref>Karen E. Klein, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711192325/http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-11-05/humor-in-the-workplacebusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice "Humor in the Workplace"], ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', November 5, 2007.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cheng |first=David |last2=Wang |first2=Lu |date=2015-12-01 |title=Examining the Energizing Effects of Humor: The Influence of Humor on Persistence Behavior |journal=Journal of Business and Psychology |language=en |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=759–772 |doi=10.1007/s10869-014-9396-z |issn=1573-353X}}</ref>

On the other hand, workplace humor (especially negative humor) can also be misused to reinforce bigotry, denigrate minorities, create an atmosphere of physical or sexual harassment, or as a management tool to reinforce managerial authority.<ref name="Wijewardena"/><ref> Ford, T. E., & Fitzgerald, C. M. "Sexist humor in the workplace: A case of subtle harassment." In Jerald Greenberg (Ed.), ''Insidious Workplace Behavior'' (Routledge, 2010), {{ISBN|978-1848728585}}, pp. 175-206. [https://books.google.com/books?id=TyrcPvZdbqEC&dq=%22humor+in+the+workplace%22&pg=PA175 Excerpts available] at Google Books.</ref>

An important consideration for the effect of humor is the source. While humor can help a person at work deal with stresses <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cheng |first=David |last2=Amarnani |first2=Rajiv |last3=Le |first3=Tiffany |last4=Restubog |first4=Simon |date=2019-06-01 |title=Laughter Is (Powerful) Medicine: the Effects of Humor Exposure on the Well-being of Victims of Aggression |journal=Journal of Business and Psychology |language=en |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=389–402 |doi=10.1007/s10869-018-9548-7 |issn=1573-353X}}</ref> some research has shown that humor from others can cause more stress, even when intended to help a person cope.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2021-03-01 |title=Finding humor in work–life conflict: Distinguishing the effects of individual and co-worker humor |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001879121000105 |journal=Journal of Vocational Behavior |language=en-US |volume=125 |article-number=103538 |doi=10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103538 |issn=0001-8791|hdl=10072/401443 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

==Legal considerations== Inappropriate workplace humor may be deemed as "evidence in sexual harassment, discrimination and hostile work environment cases".<ref name="Taylor">T. Shawn Taylor, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160308035725/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-120416170.html "Political correctness (and lawsuits) make workplace humor serious issue."] ''Chicago Tribune'', April 26, 2002.</ref> It has led to serious consequences in cases such as the Krull case, where the ombudsman of King County, Washington was fired for sending a copy of the 1894 booklet ''Instruction and Advice for the Young Bride'' to his soon-to-be-married assistant,<ref>David Schaefer, [https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19961022/2355636/ombudsman-is-fired "Ombudsman Is Fired -- County Council Says Krull Engaged In `Misconduct'"] ''Seattle Times'', October 22, 1996.</ref> or Chevron Corporation having to pay more than $2 million as a settlement with four employees after an interoffice email circulated on the subject of "25 Reasons Why Beer is Better Than Women".<ref name="Taylor"/>

==Representations in popular culture== {{example farm|date=January 2025}} Office humor is the focus of comic strips (''Dilbert'', ''Gaus Electronics'', ''Help Desk'', ''Misaeng'', ''User Friendly'', ''Sosiaalisesti rajoittuneet''), movies (''Office Space'', ''Head Office''), TV series ''(Abbott Elementary'', ''Parks and Recreation'', ''Mythic Quest'', ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', ''The Office'', ''30 Rock'', ''Superstore'', ''St. Denis Medical)'' and contemporary art (as in works by Mike Kelley<ref>Tom McGlynn, [http://www.artwrit.com/article/mike-kelley-laughing-at-deadlines/ "Mike Kelley: Laughing at Deadlines"], ''Artwrit'', Winter 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.renaissancesociety.org/site/Exhibitions/Intro.Mike-Kelley-Three-Projects-Half-a-Man-From-My-Institution-to-Yours-and-Pay-for-Your-Pleasure.110.html "Mike Kelley, Three Projects: Half a Man, From My Institution to Yours, and Pay for Your Pleasure"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512001752/http://www.renaissancesociety.org/site/Exhibitions/Intro.Mike-Kelley-Three-Projects-Half-a-Man-From-My-Institution-to-Yours-and-Pay-for-Your-Pleasure.110.html |date=2013-05-12 }}, Renaissance Society, May 1988.</ref>).

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite journal |title=Risky business: When humor increases and decreases status |doi=10.1037/pspi0000079 |author1=T Bradford Bitterly |author2=Alison Wood Brooks |author3=Maurice E Schweitzer |date=10 November 2016 |journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|volume=112 |issue=3 |pages=431–455 |pmid=27831701 |s2cid=3437230 }}

Category:Humour Humor Category:Workplace Category:Industrial and organizational psychology Category:Economic sociology