VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - You've probably received inappropriate emails at work, winced at a joke in poor taste, or painfully pretended to laugh along with an awkwardly unfunny co-worker.
Most executives feel levity plays a vital role in keeping the workplace running smoothly, but there are lines that should not be crossed.
"All work and no play can make for a very tense situation," says Todd Holowchak with
Accountemps in Vancouver. "Humour is very good for individuals because it can go a long way in building rapport with their co-workers. It shows you're not always taking yourself so seriously, you can become much more approachable."
An Accountemps
survey suggests 79 per cent of CFO's feel an employee's sense of humour is important for fitting into the company's corporate culture.
"It's okay to let your personality shine through, but you don't want to come across as being someone you are not or being phony," explains Holowchak. "I think the key here is that you don't want to be seen as the workplace clown. To be taken seriously, professionals must balance their desire to keep the mood light while at the same time accomplishing their business objectives and maintaining professionalism."
The forwarding of inappropriate emails is one of the easiest ways to get yourself into dangerous territory but Holowchak has a long list of humour to avoid at work.
"You may think it's funny but others may not; don't make your co-workers a target of jokes or over-the-top sarcasm and never joke about race, religion or disabilities. All that off-colour stuff is definitely inappropriate."
And no matter how funny you think you are, never ever start joking around at a job interview.
"You have to show your personality, you have to be yourself, but you don't want to start cracking jokes or trying to detract from the purpose of the interview," says Holowchak. "The interview is for the hiring manager to get a sense of who you are, if you can do the job and if you will be a good cultural fit.
Coming across as a jokester is definitely not appropriate, but you should show you are approachable."
Despite the importance of levity in the workplace, Holowchak says it's equally important not to force it. "Some people just are not naturally funny and where it gets awkward for individuals is when they try to be someone they are not. It's okay to laugh with your co-workers and participate in those jokes but if you are not funny, don't try to be."