Editor’s Note: ‘Happy Hour’ is an HR Dive column from Editor Ginger Christ. Follow along as she dives into some of the offbeat news in the HR space.
Most employees say they regularly laugh at work, but that laughter has limits, a recent Monster survey found.
More than three-quarters of workers say they’re less likely to make jokes when senior leaders are around, while about 7 in 10 say they withhold humor sometimes “to avoid seeming less professional or credible,” Monster reported.
“This tension speaks to a larger career challenge. Employees want to be authentic and relatable, but they also want to be taken seriously,” writes Vicki Salemi, a Monster career expert.
Learning to navigate the balance between being funny at work and not harming your reputation “is becoming a modern workplace skill,” Salemi says.
Tone and intent can be subjective, making humor sometimes feel like a risky play, especially in a strapped job market.
“In a polarized and high-pressure environment, workers are keenly aware of how quickly a joke can be misinterpreted,” Salemi says.
Nearly a third of the more than 1,000 U.S. workers Monster surveyed said their workplaces have grown more serious in the past year.
When considered alongside reports of rising levels of burnout and loneliness, laughter may be the best medicine. Nearly all of the employees Monster surveyed say laughing reduces stress and forges connections with their colleagues.
Likewise, McLean & Co. reported last year that creating a sense of belonging in the workplace can help employees feel seen and connected and in turn positively influence business outcomes.
And more than half of workers said the absence of laughter is an indicator of high stress or burnout, while others said it means employees are worried about saying the wrong thing, trying to hit tight deadlines or feel pressure from leaders, Monster finds.
“In other words, laughter is more than a mood booster. It is a cultural signal,” Salemi says.
To that end, a quarter of workers recently surveyed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness said they’ve considered quitting over the toll their job takes on their mental health. And more than half of employees said they don’t make friends at work in order to keep their personal and professional lives separate, Glassdoor reports.
While it may be an employer’s market, that doesn’t mean companies can forgo efforts to build culture and boost engagement. Because when opportunities do arise to move on to a friendlier environment, workers might be laughing their way out the door.