Practice safe pranking this April Fool’s Day
March 31st, 2008, 2:53 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Edward Gately
Everybody loves an April Fool’s Day prank, right? Think again, especially if the prank is pulled on a co-worker, according to local human resources expert Aaron Witsoe. He is president of Valley-based Creative Business Resources.
“We want to make sure people aren’t getting hurt in the April Fool’s thing,” he said. ”A lot of it just depends on the (workplace) culture that you have all year long regarding things of that nature. It’s just common sense.”
It may not be a good idea to pull a prank on a co-worker you’re not friendly with and if you’re unsure how he or she will react, Witsoe said. It’s definitely not a good idea to pull a prank on a co-worker who already feels left out of social interaction in the workplace, he said. If pulled on the wrong co-worker, the prankster could end up in hot water with human resources.
“Save it for people you know … who are going to take it in the spirit in which it’s meant to be sent,” he said. “You’re better off using restraint, and there is no point in upsetting the apple cart for no reason.”