I work at a startup company in the San Francisco Bay Area where the culture is more T-shirt and jeans than suits and ties. Yes, there is a hierarchy, but it's not strict. Our day-to-day interactions are very friendly for the most part. My point is that jokes are well received in this environment. I guess I never really encountered a setting that disapproves of harmless jokes. In college, pranks or "hacks" were unofficially encouraged by the school. It was seen as a creative outlet. Once in a while, you'll see cars being stacked onto rooftops or an extra door added to a random part of the hall way. I once barricaded a friend's door by constructing a "brick" wall made of snack boxes.
They’re all in good fun, but if you're thinking of pulling a prank, there are some ground rules you should abide by to prevent bad blood between co-workers. Here are 10 commandments of playing April Fools' pranks everyone should consider:
- Thou shalt take the office climate into consideration
- Thou shalt not cause bodily harm
- Thou shalt not play an irreversible prank
- Thou shalt not jeopardize anyone's career (including your own)
- Thou shalt understand the audience
- Thou shalt prank with the intention of causing stomach pain as a result of laughter
- Thou shalt plan well for the clever execution of pranks
- Thou shalt minimize disruptions to productivity at work
- Thou shalt be creative and not play lame, overdone pranks
- Thou shalt never let a prank get out of hand
Okay, now you're ready to have fun! Have you ever played an April Fools' office prank or been a target of one? Are you planning one or do you think it's inappropriate?
