Humour and Workplace Safety
Humour is often underestimated and can be your secret weapon to enhance your influence and overall wellbeing.
Did you know that having a strong sense of humour can lower your risk of mortality by a whopping 73%? It's not just a joke (pun intended); this insight comes from a study involving over 50,000 Norwegian women.
So, the office clown might be onto something after all.
Certainly, there's a time and place for appropriate humour, especially in today's world, where it can lighten the burden of our daily challenges.
However what if the humour you encounter leans towards sarcasm, teasing, criticism or even ridicule at the expense of others?
In line with SafeWork NSW’s Code of Practice for Managing psychosocial hazards at work, managers, leaders or functions that have people management responsibilities should look to eliminate negative interactions such as sarcasm, mocking or social exclusion as these types of behaviour are now considered as harmful workplace behaviours.
Behaviour is a natural part of human interaction, but it humour is interpreted by an individual as inappropriate this has the potential to negatively impact them.
Leaders have a pivotal role in taking proactive steps to eliminate or minimise negative behaviour which is now considered a workplace psychosocial hazard.
Addressing these issues with sensitivity can maintain a healthy working environment.
Lets support individuals to thrive and use humour as a positive influence rather than as a tool for harm.