Pranks are supposed to be harmless… right?

The thing about pranks is that we can’t all agree on what they entail. Some people think it’s funny to replace your favorite pen with a french fry and wait for you to notice. Some think it’s funny to smash a pie in someone’s face as they round the corner into the kitchen. Some think it’s funny to fill your car with jelly so it’s completely unusable. These pranks all have different effects and operate on different scales, but are they all pranks? I’m a little bit anti-prank in general because if every moment is a lifetime unto itself, then we should spend none of those lifetimes lying to each other without cause. It’s not nice to make someone the fool… but it is funny sometimes. I’ll be darned if I don’t laugh whenever I see someone properly execute the hold broom and glass of water prank. 

But pranks can be dangerous, especially in the workplace. At work, we’re all expected to be held to some level of professionalism. We’re inundated with all sorts of information about how to be a good coworker and how to not cross any boundaries. There is a high standard that we keep ourselves to in order to avoid any drama. And this is for good reason. You don’t want to do anything that might create a hostile work environment. You want everyone to feel safe and sound in their place of work at all times.