For Employers Articles Books Resume Center Interview Center Chat Schedule Message Board Feedback Newsletters Enter your email address and receive weekly Equal Opportunity updates. Reconciling Humor with Respect by Sondra Thiederman, PhD Summary A joke at the expense of any group isn't funny. Disrespectful humor can create an air of tension. Even those who laugh may be offended.
Laughter is a great antidote for workplace stress and tedium.
Jokes, humor and teasing all create a light atmosphere in which teams are formed, friendships cemented, and energy and productivity increased. That is, if the jokes, humor and teasing are not at the expense of any one group of employees. Jokes, for example, that denigrate women, minorities or gay people can be hurtful, divisive and, in the worst cases, grounds for discrimination suits. Managers and employees face the challenge of encouraging respect for diversity without stifling the levity we all crave in our fast-paced lives. Many employees have resisted changing the nature of their humor, because they never understood why particular jokes were a problem.