Workplace Jokes Aren?t Always Funny

Employees who tell jokes they’ve heard to colleagues often don’t realize they are inappropriate. However, the telling of a joke that hurts or offends is often the start of escalating steps of employment discrimination or harassment.

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Jokes and stories are probably the most common—and most preventable—forms of discrimination. Inappropriate jokes also may be passed through internal e-mails or by the posting of cartoons.

Colleagues often don’t have the courage to protest and tell the storyteller that they find a joke offensive to themselves or others.

Handling this problem at the lowest level of management is often the best prevention. Train managers so they can explain to their workers what is and isn’t appropriate in your workplace in relation to jokes or other statements about gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other areas of discrimination.

Instruct managers to link the potential impact of discrimination, even if unintended, on the atmosphere of the workplace and “the trust factor” among co-workers.

Also have your managers review your employment policies about discrimination with workers and emphasize the disciplinary actions that can result when discrimination occurs.

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