Loyalty Pawn HR Corner

April Fool’s Day is Sunday, April 1st this year, but I have seen employees use the whole month of April for cool and kind-spirited pranks. If that’s the case here at Loyalty, please read on.

Have you heard of the notorious sandwich thief?

If you haven’t, we’re referring to a viral thread of photos in which two employees engage in a humorous note war. One employee, known as Turkey and Swiss on Rye, demands the other, Sandwich Thief, give him his sandwich back.

Sandwich Thief refuses and even puts the poor sandwich up for ransom. However, one could say he bit off more than he could chew: HR gets involved, and we’re betting she wasn’t too happy with the sandwich burglar a.k.a. Francis.

Though it is funny, this is a good example of how office jokes can have consequences. And, naturally, this brings us to April Fools’ Day.

April Fools’ Day/Month is fun but there can be a fine line between fun and harmful, especially at each worksite/office.

Of course, laughing and getting along can be conducive to team building, eliminating stress, and boosting employee morale, but it’s important to make sure you don’t cross the line. If done wrong, jokes and pranks at work can lead to hurt feelings, injuries, and even *gasp* lawsuits.

To help you avoid these, here are some guideline of sorts for April Fools’ Day/Month worksite pranks. And no, I’m not kidding. These are genuine tips.

DON’T ignore Loyalty’s culture. This is important to consider. If your worksite is an environment where nobody jokes with one another ever, April Fools’ Day/Month pranking probably isn’t the best idea.

DON’T do physical jokes. It’s best to stay away from jokes that have the potential to harm a person. Even something small like putting superglue on a co-worker’s writing utensil could result in bodily harm. Don’t use weapons of any kind, even fake ones.

DON’T be inappropriate. There is a time and place for pranks. A conference call with a client, for instance, is not the time nor place. Don’t use potty humor, sexual innuendos, or stink bombs. Don’t do a prank that will interrupt an employee’s ability to do his/her job. Don’t permanently damage property.

DON’T joke at Loyalty’s expense. For some reason, companies like to create fake company news or press releases on April Fools’ Day. Don’t do this. You never know what clients or potential customers will believe the news, leading you to intense damage control and, possibly, legal consequences.

DON’T prank clients.

DON’T confuse a prank with harassment. It should go without saying that a prank should not single out any person or trait. Don’t use jokes or pranks that in any way mock an employee’s race, gender, etc. or are sexual in nature.

DO consider your audience. This is important. You want to make sure the “target” of your joke will “get it.” Choose a co-worker you know well, and you know will laugh.

DO have fun. We hope to have more “don’ts” than “dos” doesn’t make us seem like we’re against fun. We’re not. I just want to ensure you have a fun, safe, and lawsuit-free April Fools’ Month!