Funny,JokesSEP 21, 2023

50 Times People Spotted Examples Of Sarcasm In The Workplace And Had To Snap A Photo

Eglė Bliabaitė, Justinas Keturka and Jonas Grinevičius

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No matter how serious a company might look to outsiders, on the inside, you’ll always find someone subtly goofing about and having a laugh. Humor is an inseparable part of being a human being. So it makes sense that our desire for comedy, quips, and good old sarcasm doesn’t go away the moment we clock in.

Bored Panda has collected some of the most powerful photos of humor and sarcasm in the workplace, from all around the internet. From witty notes and funny printouts to hilarious posters, these pics are perfect for sending to your coworkers—preferably during their coffee breaks or right before they have an important deadline. Scroll down for your dose of workplace sarcasm and inspiration.

We got in touch with workplace expert Lynn Taylor, who was kind enough to share her thoughts about the importance of laughter when it comes to motivating staff, as well as the limits that should be placed on humor at work. Read on to find Bored Panda's full interview with Taylor, the author of the bestseller ‘Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant' and the host of a popular blog on Psychology Today.

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#21 Our Office Fridge Today

jimthehacksawduggan

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317points

Of course, there are obviously limits to humor. While comedy is important—and we’ll be the first to defend this—the workplace can’t revolve just around giggles and sarcasm. Work really does need to come first. To oversimplify a tad, the better your results, the more flexibility you have in how much you can clown around.

If you manage to get things done well and efficiently and you’re generally well-liked, then you can get away with joking around more often. On the flip side, if all you do is fire off joke after joke without getting anything done, then your colleagues will have far less patience with you. Ideally, you want to seem optimistic and good-natured without disrupting everyone around you.

#22 I Was Told The Office Had A Great View

casual_observr

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309points

#23 Nearly A Year Ago, My Coworker Needed Stitches After An Avocado Toast Accident. I Made This Sign For Her, And They're Still Updating It

emzieees

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307points

#24 One Day, The Office Smells A Little Like The Ocean. The Next Day, This Appears On The Microwave

jyc23

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298points

There are also common sense limits on the types of jokes you should be telling at work (or, well, anywhere else). Of course, this will depend a lot on your company’s culture and how close you are to your coworkers. For instance, you shouldn’t be bombarding someone you’ve never met before with endless witty insights. Build the relationship up a bit first before flexing your humorous side.

Similarly, you really do not want to alienate the office because you’re trying to ‘impress’ everyone with your spicy comments. That means that you should definitely avoid humor that might be offensive or discriminate against others. Raunchy jokes are also off the table in the workplace, as are quips that are deeply mean-spirited or could be interpreted as bullying.

#25 We Have A Door In The Back For Emergency Fire Department Access, And We Figured We'd Open It And Check It Out In Case We Need An Escape Route

TrekkieGod

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295points

#26 Broken Pepsi Machine At Work

Exalted81

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293points

#27 Debbie Needs To Stop Stealing Other People's Food

DstinationKeplerB

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289points

When it comes to humor, everyone’s tastes are a little bit different. Some folks genuinely enjoy darker jokes and don’t even bat an eye at edgy social commentary. However, others might feel offended and even report you to HR or their superiors. So it’s best to keep your humor at work light, neutral, and friendly. If you’re ever on the fence about a witty comment, it might be best to keep quiet, smile, and nod along.

We’d love to hear which of these workplace pics you enjoyed the most, dear Pandas. Were there any that inspired you to write any funny notes at your own jobs? Swing on by the comment section to share your thoughts. Oh, and if you’d like to share how you keep your spirits up and approach humor at your own jobs, we’re all ears!