Here are 15 answers to the question What funny examples of harmless workplace April Fools' jokes that are appropriate for the office?
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- Rearrange office furniture
- Get your pets involved
- Send out an April Fool's Day newsletter
- Get creative with your Zoom background
- Draft a fake company memo
- Coordinate outfits but leave someone out
- Bring a dual remote control
- Offer Oreos with toothpaste
- Go crazy with sticky notes
- Wrap a toilet seat in plastic wrap
- Dress as your boss
- Replace your teammate's wallpaper
- Change family pictures
- Swap keyboard keys
- Join forces in a video conference
Rearrange office furniture
A work-friendly April Fool's joke could be rearranging the office furniture. During the workday, when everyone has retired for a few minutes, find a friend to help you move the tables and chairs.
Then, when you return to work, watch your colleagues struggle to adjust to their new surroundings. This prank can be both light-hearted and harmless as it does not involve any physical objects or malicious intent. It also shows a bit of creativity by giving everyone a surprise. Besides, what better way to remember that we should always expect the unexpected.
Kate Duske, Editor-in-Chief,Escape room data
Get your pets involved
My favorite example of a workplace prank that was part of the travel industry was Virgin Australia's Canine Crew Program.
In 2017, the airline went well beyond allowing pets on board, leading a handful of us to believe we were getting the world's first canine crew! The canine staff offered a number of innovative (but sadly fake) services such as: That would be rude if that were true!
The video they contained was beyond cute and we had a prank similar to what we have in the industry. We've told everyone service animals are now part of luxury airline options, and almost all of my employees signed up to be the first to try them! We even created fake tickets for them to go to the airport and show them at the reception. They were more than disappointed when there was no such thing. A staff member said they use their own animal!
Aiden Higgins, Editor-in-Chief and Author,The broke backpacker
Send out an April Fool's Day newsletter
Ah, April Fools! The day we can all let go, have fun, and play pranks on our co-workers without getting into too much trouble. How about a fake memo or announcement that's so ridiculous it'll get a few laughs?
They could send out a company-wide email announcing that we all have to wear chicken suits to work every Wednesday. Or put up a sign in the break room explaining that the coffee maker has been upgraded to dispense lattes and cappuccinos, but only for those who can do a perfect cartwheel.
And if you're feeling extra creative, why not create a newsletter with some ridiculous headlines and articles? I'm talking about headlines like "CEO announces plan to turn office into ball pit" or "Employee discovers secret room full of unlimited snacks".
Piotrek Sosnowski, Chief People and Culture Officer,natu.care
Get creative with your Zoom background
Since some of us work remotely (or probably work onsite but still have lots of Zoom calls), you can prank your co-workers by having a different version of you in the background.
You can do this by filming a short clip of yourself walking around where you normally take your calls. Then you can save it or edit it a little. You can even try waving at the camera if you like. After that, use it as a virtual background for Zoom.
You can add the video by selecting "Select Virtual Background" in Zoom and then selecting the video you just filmed. You can even pretend you don't know what's going on, but you must be determined not to laugh with them.
Mark Damsgaard, Partner and Head of Client Services,Global Residence Index
Draft a fake company memo
Try creating a fake memo or newsletter that looks as real as possible to reinforce the humor. You can even use the company's logo and formatting to make it look like a legitimate message from HR or senior management.
When you announce a new policy, such as "No more pants, just pyjamas," you can justify the change with an obviously absurd justification. For example, you could say that research has shown that productivity is directly related to comfort, and that employees who are more comfortable in their pajamas perform better.
And of course use humor in the language you use to describe the policy changes. For example, when announcing the no pants policy, say something like, "We believe in empowering our employees to feel comfortable and productive, and nothing says 'productivity' quite like a pair of good pajama bottoms."
Just remember to follow up after the April Fool's joke (or even at the bottom of the newsletter) to explain it was just a lighthearted joke!
Samuel Johns, CPRW and Career Advisor,resume Genius
Coordinate outfits but leave someone out
When working in healthcare, professionalism in the workplace is essential as we are constantly interacting with clients. You can't afford to make mistakes and overdo a practical joke.
Last year my office made a tame but still funny April Fool's joke. We chose one person in the office to be the dumbass, and then everyone else coordinated to wear all-yellow outfits on April 1st. There were yellow scrubs, yellow shoes, yellow hair ties and even some yellow eyeshadow.
Our chosen colleague was no smarter and showed up in a perfectly normal outfit, but ended up looking like an outsider. We're a small, tight-knit office, so we have a good sense of how people take jokes like this, and she thought it was a riot.
dr Shara Posner, Founder,Back to the health center
Bring a dual remote control
If you want to trick someone but like ridiculous annoying things, here's something for you. Get a second remote, sit somewhere where your buddy or partner can't see what you're doing, then switch channels.
Continue doing this in small doses throughout the day until they complain that the TV isn't working properly. Afterwards, let them catch you changing channels one day. The few dollars you spent on the remote control will be justified by the surprise and laughter.
Daniel Foley Carter, Founder,Daniel Foley
Offer Oreos with toothpaste
Perhaps as timeless as the jokes themselves is this one. Honestly, it's a very simple prank. Oreos are often taken out of the cookie jar. While it's important to have real Oreos, add a few imitations to the real ones, with toothpaste replacing the creamy filling. Be sure to be close when they start nibbling so you can stop them.
Joanne King, Corporate Director,ICMP
Go crazy with sticky notes
Covering everything with sticky notes is one of the most well-known pranks of all. First, select the area you want to cover with sticky notes, e.g. B. a mirror, a car or a desk. Then collect your sticky notes.
After collecting them, place them anywhere and your artistic creation is sure to annoy your intended target. Once they notice the sticky notes everywhere, there will be a priceless reaction and endless laughter.
Alex Constantinou, Managing Director,The Fitness Circle
Wrap a toilet seat in plastic wrap
For those who like April Fools, this bathroom prank will either lead to tears of laughter or make someone want to cut ties with you.
Place a piece of plastic wrap behind the toilet seat lid. You have the perfect opportunity when someone ignores it before using the restroom. Don't be too relaxed though, as you may end up being in charge of cleaning.
Dean Lee, Marketing Director,sea lions
Dress as your boss
One of the best and funniest, but definitely most harmless pranks you can pull for April Fool's Day is to dress up as your boss. Since everyone has their own unique style, you can watch how your boss dresses for work and copy their style.
This office prank works best when there are more people doing it. Therefore, talk to your teammates and plan this prank accordingly. Make sure you dress like your boss from head to toe and it's sure to get a laugh around the office.
Steven Mostyn, Chief Human Resources Officer,Management.org
Replace your teammate's wallpaper
An example of a harmless April Fool's joke that's appropriate for work is replacing a person's computer background with a humorous or silly image. For example, you could change your colleague's desktop wallpaper to a funny meme, a picture of a cute animal, or a silly quote.
It's important to remember that every April Fool's joke should be harmless, tasteful and not offensive to anyone. It's always a good idea to know your audience and make sure your prank resonates with your peers.
Derrick Hathaway, Sales Manager,VEM medicine
Change family pictures
One of my favorite harmless April Fools' jokes is replacing all my co-workers' family pictures with pictures of me or celebrities. I love seeing how long it takes them to realize that the pictures on their desk aren't of their family members anymore. I keep their original paintings safe to give back to them once they discover the fakes!
Allen King, CEO,join in the fun
Swap keyboard keys
A colleague's keyboard keys can be swapped out for those on another keyboard. By carefully removing and swapping the keys from both keyboards, you can accomplish this task quickly and effortlessly.
Your colleague will be shocked to find that the letters on the screen and the keys do not match when typing. Just putting the keys back in their original position ends this innocent joke. But it's important to make sure the equipment isn't damaged by the prank and that the colleague has a sense of humor.
Jeff Romero, founder
Join forces in a video conference
Involving more people in your April Fool's joke makes it even funnier. Since my team and I work remotely for the most part, it's fun to play around with one person and pretend not to hear them over a video conference.
Getting other team members to play in can make the other person think something is wrong with their mic. It's a simple but fun prank that doesn't bother the work at all as it only takes a few seconds before the stencil pops up!
Daniel Climans, Senior Manager, Digital Marketing and Partnerships,sticker you