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By Bryan Yingst / February 2007

Humor can unify teams, form friendships and relieve office stress. But, determining where the lines are drawn between a simple joke and disrespectful behavior can be blurred.

A very common mistake by individuals is to assume that just because something was heard on TV or the radio, that it is OK to repeat such jokes in the workplace. This is not always the case. Take for example the following scenario.

You overhear a coworker, Neill, telling another coworker, Melissa, the following joke:

"Hey Melissa! what's the difference between a pregnant lady and a lightbulb?"

Now, without hearing the punch line, we can assume that Neill was merely trying to lighten the mood by entertaining a fellow coworker. But, without being able to read Melissa’s mind, he (or anybody for that matter) couldn’t possibly know how she might perceive this joke.

What if Melissa finds sex-based humor offensive? Or what if Melissa is pregnant herself or has emotional issues with pregnancy? Well then. What started off as a good intention may actually have the reverse effect.

Jokes that are sex-based, or that are made at the expense of another person or group of people can be harmful to our work environment. Even if the target of the joke isn’t present to hear it or if you, yourself, are part of that group.

You see, offensive jokes and comments send the wrong message to everyone around us that it’s OK to be disrespectful to individuals.

Remember, different people have different tastes. What might be funny or amusing to one person, may be received as offensive by other. As positive professionals, we need to use good judgment as to what you do or don't discuss in the workplace. This means respecting the fact that we all have the right to work in an environment that is comfortable.

Workplace humor is just one topic found within KnowledgeStart’s Diversity and Inclusion product. This e-learning course was designed using the latest EEOC guidelines, policies and procedures using real life situations.

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