Workplace Productivity

Although some people perceive humor to be a distraction from serious work, abundant research has identified multiple ways in which humor actually contributes to enhancing people’s workplace productivity. This entry discusses the ways in which humor can increase workplace productivity.

Although it is often assumed among employers that humor is a distraction that diverts their employees' attention from achieving their serious work objectives, research has identified and described various benefits of humor at work—especially in regard to increasing workplace productivity. Empirical studies conducted in a range of different workplaces, including a hotel kitchen, police briefing rooms, health care settings, white-collar workplaces, factory floors, and many more, have found that rather than being a waste of time and resources, humor may actually perform a wide array of ...