Rules for Having Fun at Work
A number of books written within the last few years have been telling employers and employees
to have fun at work. Whether it is throwing a fish, squirting each other with water guns,
or throwing a pie in the CEO's face; fun at work is a hot topic and one that many companies,
small and large, are attempting to implement.
A problem with a number of these "fun" books is that they do not define what fun is and what
rules the company should institute before letting the dogs loose.
Rule number one is to clearly explain to the employees what fun is and what it is not.
Yes, this is a simple concept, but if not clearly expressed to your employees some will miss
the point when you give them permission to have fun at work. So, make sure you spell out
thoroughly what behaviors are not included in having fun. For example, fun is not telling
jokes, engaging in pranks, and teasing coworkers. In other words, fun at work is nothing you
would do at a party, i.e., leave the lampshade at the party.
Having Fun at Work Rules
Fun is not making fun of coworkers or management
(No mimicking, no teasing, no mocking)
Fun is not telling jokes
(No ethnic jokes, no off-colored jokes, no dark humor)
Fun is not practical jokes or pranks
Fun is not sexual
Fun is not deceptive
Fun is not gambling
Fun is not sarcastic
Fun is not making fun of the company
Having true fun at work is very similar to the type of fun you have when playing a sport or
performing. For example, think of the last time you were playing a sport or performing in
front of an audience. Do you remember how you channeled your attention and energy to the
point that you lost track of time and everything else in your life, so you could focus on
your performance? Do you remember how much fun it was getting congratulations from your
teammates or from the audience? And even though you were completely exhausted following your
performance, do you remember how great you felt inside afterwards? This is the type of
fun that best fits the workplace. In other words, the best type of fun for the workplace
is playful fun, competitive or noncompetitive, that generates congratulations and cheers
from coworkers. Additionally, sporting or performance types of fun fit well within the
workplace where employers generally want employees to have energy, drive, talent,
determination, competitive spirit, and be goal orientated.
What does playful sporting or performing fun at work look like? Imagine two cooks who decide
to compete on how many pancakes they can make on a busy Sunday morning. The cooks encourage
the waitresses to sell pancakes, and encourage the prep cooks to make as much pancake batter
as possible. At the end of the work shift, the cook who makes the most pancakes gets his
name engraved on a spatula. In this example, the cooks were involved both in completing and
performing.
(Note: the workers and not management should generate fun at work. Management should simply
not get in the way of a truly fun time.)
Fun at work generally translates into increased productivity, increased employee morale, and
decreased turnover. It also reduces the need for workers to take mental health days.
Just remember to follow rule number one, simply explain to your employees what fun is in
the workplace.
Happy Working,
Gary Vikesland, MA LP CEAP
Employer-Employee.com
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