Why you seriously need to stop trying to be funny at work

Cracking jokes at the office is more likely to backfire than boost your career.

By: Peter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder; Adam Barsky, The University of Melbourne, and Caleb Warren, University of Arizona, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 5, 2026

Words: 1,351

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Peter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder; Adam Barsky, The University of Melbourne, and Caleb Warren, University of Arizona

How can you get ahead in your career and still enjoy the ride?

One solution offered in business books, LinkedIn posts and team-building manuals is to use humor. Sharing jokes, sarcastic quips, ironic memes and witty anecdotes, the advice goes, will make you more likable, ease stress, strengthen teams, spark creativity and even signal …

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