But new research shows that humor at work is a gamble, and the costs of a flop are often greater than the rewards of a laugh.
A team of professors studying workplace humor say their findings challenge the common advice in business books and team-building manuals that employees should lighten the mood with quips or witty remarks.
Their work suggests that while successful humor can boost status, failed attempts damage credibility and respect far more.
The research builds on what scholars call the “benign violation” theory, which argues that jokes land only when something feels both wrong and harmless at the same time.
Miss one of those elements, and the result is more likely to bore or offend than amuse.
That thin margin makes humor especially treacherous in the workplace, where differences in culture, hierarchy, and gender raise the stakes.
For women, the risks are higher, according to the professors. Studies show that women often face harsher backlash than men when jokes are perceived as offensive or norm-breaking.
"When women use humor in presentations, they are often judged as being less capable and having lower status than men," the researchers wrote.
The authors point to several experiments, including contests where business students were asked to create funny captions for ads, that found the funniest entries were often rated the most distasteful.
They also cite research showing that managers who misfire with humor lose status and see declines in trust from employees.
Instead of performing humor, experts advise professionals to “think funny.” By flipping assumptions, narrowing audiences, and collaborating like comedians who refine material through feedback, workers can generate fresh solutions and foster creativity without risking a credibility crash.
The findings were published Tuesday, Sept. 24, by researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Arizona.
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