Looking for ways to create a more enjoyable workplace? Planning for a little Friday office humour can be a great way to boost staff morale and strengthen team bonds after a busy work week. Plus, it can help set the tone for the following week, allowing employees to start the weekend on a positive note with any pressure lifted off their shoulders.

Read on to learn more about how to add Friday office humour to your workplace with Adobe Express. We’ll cover different approaches to take, some of the benefits of light-hearted humour at work, top considerations and more.

What are the benefits of light-hearted humour at work?

Light-hearted humour can have several benefits at work. For example, it can help:

• Boost team spirits and employee motivation.
• Make the workplace more enjoyable and collaborative.
• Encourage creativity and help with creative blocks.
• Foster better social connections and workplace relationships.
• Break down barriers between managers and line-reports.
• Make working days more memorable.
• Relieve workplace stress, and hopefully reduce risk of burnout.

Of course, office humour may not be right for every workplace or business. For example, in highly formal business environments, or industries that deal with sensitive topics, workplace humour may be seen as inappropriate or insensitive.

It’s also important to make sure workplace humour is used in the right way as there are certain types of humour that should be avoided. There are also certain situations where humour may not be appropriate.

How can you make Friday funny at work?

There are several ways you can add some humour to the end of your team’s work week, and make Fridays a little more funny and engaging.

Here are a few approaches you could try:

• Share memes and GIFs. Memes and GIFs have become a staple in digital culture and can be a great way to capture relatable situations or emotions in a funny and engaging way. Create your own inspired by funny workplace memories and moments for a more personal touch.
• Compile Friday fun facts for the office. Sometimes humour can be educational. For example, you could compile a list of fun facts to share with the office on a Friday. These can be specific to your industry and company or be more generalised.
• Consider Friday office jokes to break the ice. There may be certain situations at work where jokes can help break the ice. For example, jokes could be used as openers to speeches, or at company socials to help set the tone for the occasion. You can apply this same idea to a Friday round-up or collaboration meeting.
• Send round funny office quiz questions. Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned quiz? Put your team knowledge to the test by sending round a workplace quiz with a mix of funny trivia questions.
• Challenge your team with a series of brain-teasing riddles. Riddles can be a great way to boost collaboration and problem-solving skills as they encourage people to work together to search for the right answer. Add a little humour for some extra fun.

Each workplace is different, so some of these approaches may be more suited to certain settings than others. You should also check what you’re sending is fully appropriate for work and won’t offend anyone before you attempt office humour.

Top considerations for office humour.

Office humour can help boost employee morale and create a positive work environment. But it’s important to remember some basic guidelines before testing out any office humour.

Here are some useful considerations to help you strike the right balance:

• Always tread carefully. Be cautious of anything you say or write and try to avoid upsetting or offending anyone.
• Avoid humorous criticism. Office humour shouldn’t be used to mock or make fun of a coworker.
• Make it obvious that you’re joking. Sometimes people can take things word for word, so it’s important to make it clear when you’re joking.
• Be willing to poke fun at yourself. The safest target for a funny joke is often yourself. Being able to laugh at your own quirks can show colleagues that you’re self-aware and don’t take yourself seriously.
• Stop if it doesn’t feel natural. Some workplaces and colleagues might not appreciate certain types of humour. If you find yourself questioning if a certain joke is appropriate, it’s probably a sign that it isn’t
• Don’t force it. You can’t force humour, and that’s fine. Humour often comes naturally, so if you find it hard to crack a joke, don’t worry. Simply engaging in team meetings or activities can demonstrate your ability to have fun.
• Don’t make discriminatory or offensive jokes. This one should go without saying, but discriminatory or offensive jokes are not acceptable. It’s important to always remain respectful, especially when using humour at work.

Funny Friday dos and don’ts.

Still not 100% sure how to approach office humour? Here are some funny Friday dos and don’ts:

Do:

• Read the room before attempting any humour.
• Choose the right tone of voice.
• Make sure the time and place are right.
• Know your audience and their style of humour.
• Make sure your jokes are appropriate.

Don’t:

• Try to force humour on people.
• Let Friday humour get in the way of work.
• Make a joke if you’re unsure.
• Mock or discredit your coworkers.
• Make jokes at anyone’s expense.

It can be a good idea to get to know your coworkers and establish strong relationships before making jokes. This way you’ll also be able to grasp a better feel as to what type of humour is acceptable in your workplace and the employees who are more likely to be onboard for any funny Friday antics.

How can Adobe Express help you add some office humour to your workplace?

Adobe Express makes it easy for you to get creative in the office. Here are five ways to brighten up your workplace for free:

1. Create your own office memes.

Get creative and make your own memes with Adobe Express. Start by giving your meme a headline, then customise with backgrounds, images and different text styles to make the meme your own.

2. Share relatable workplace GIFs.

Create and share personalised workplace GIFs. Convert your video to a GIF that can easily be shared with your team. Choose from one of three sizing options and edit the aspect ratio to suit your channels.

3. Start your own Friday newsletter, featuring the funniest moments of the week.

What better way to end the working week than with a spot of light-hearted reading? Create a Friday newsletter for your team to read, featuring the funniest moments of the week or month.

4. Create novelty team T-shirts.

Create novelty team T-shirts with Adobe Express for an upcoming Friday social or team away day. These could feature light-hearted office nicknames, team jargon or funny office memes. You can even edit the logos, fonts and colours on your T-shirts to make them on brand.

5. Create a funny TikTok Video.

TikTok videos can be a great way to have fun with your team. Get everyone together to create a funny video inspired by the latest TikTok trend or create an original video to try and create a new viral trend.

Editable workplace memes, gifs and videos to share with your team.

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Good to know.

What are some safe examples of office humour?

Some safe examples of office humour include team riddles and team quizzes. Funny facts can also be a great way to add some humour to the workplace. These can cover all sorts of topics, from focusing on your industry to back-to-school themes.

What are the risks of office humour?

There are several potential risks of office humour. Some can be more obvious than others. For example, office humour could distract people from their day-to-day job. Other risks may involve accidently offending someone, or your humour being misinterpreted or taken literally.

What’s the best approach to Friday humour?

The best approach to Friday humour starts with understanding your audience. Once you know your audience and what they find funny, you can implement appropriate office humour. This may involve sharing relatable office memes or funny quotes.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.