Improve Team Morale With a Good Laugh

There’s no denying that the last year has been unusually stressful. People have lost their jobs, are worried about their health and that of their loved ones, and completely changed their lifestyles to work and study from home.

To help lighten the mood a bit, we’re celebrating National Laugh at Work Week this April 1-7. As it turns out, laughing is a great way to reduce stress levels, increase productivity, and generally makes for happier human beings.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

National Laugh at Work Week was started by Randall Munson, a motivational speaker and former executive at both IBM and Target. Founded on the idea that laughter is good for the body and mind, Munson set aside one week to focus on making his coworkers and employees happy.

Laughter increases productivity, teamwork, employee retention, and job satisfaction. It might look unproductive when employees joke around the water cooler or share the latest funny cat video. But those workers are more likely to put their best effort forward throughout their career if they’re happy and content.

Laughter is also good for the body. Various studies have shown that laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and boosts immune function.

Why Employee Happiness Matters

Happy employees are more productive and create higher-quality work. One study showed that happy employees are 20% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. Also, happy salespeople closed 37% more sales. Employees that report high levels of happiness and contentment at work are good for company stakeholders too. Between 1998-2005, Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For saw their stock prices rise 14% per year (compared to 6% for companies not on the list).

Actively Encourage Employee Happiness

Employee happiness doesn’t mean everyone’s laughing all the time or there’s a ping pong table in the break room. What’s more important is that your employees feel like they matter and that their work is appreciated. Employees who feel like interchangeable cogs in a corporate machine will lose motivation and productivity no matter how many pizza parties you throw. Focus on praising your team for good work, offering constructive criticism when they struggle, and supporting them when they need help. A good leader isn’t just there to delegate tasks, they’re there to help everyone grow and succeed.

Injecting Some Humor Into the Workplace

Creating a nurturing, supportive work environment can’t be accomplished overnight. Keep those goals in mind, but this Laugh at Work Week, focus on lightening the mood.

Surprisingly (or not), the best jokes for the workplace are dad jokes. Dad jokes walk the line between a clever, funny punchline, and a groan-inducing pun, firmly in the so-bad-they’re-good category. A dad might sit down in his favorite chair and proclaim, “I love this recliner. We go way back.”

Dad jokes are easy to understand, don’t alienate anyone in the audience, and unite us all around how silly they are. Whatever the reason, everyone loves a good dad joke.

A Better Workplace Culture

Why limit the benefits of National Laugh at Work Week? A good laugh is good for business throughout the year. Start fostering a less stressful and more productive workplace by having an appropriate laugh every now and then. Actively focus on individual employee appreciation to further encourage happiness at work. Let’s kick off the effort this April 1-7, but keep the good times rolling all year long.