Fun at Work Day

International Fun at Work Day is the Last Friday in January

Work shouldn't be a place you don't enjoy going to. Make it fun on the Last Friday in January! This is the day to have a great time at work with your coworkers. Play jokes on your coworkers, dress up in costume, or engage your coworkers in fun games. Make sure your supervisors know what you're doing, but they should be able to join in on the fun too!

Some celebrate Fun at Work Day on April Fool's Day, but we think it deserves its own day. For the lucky few of you who have fun at work everyday, congratulations! You’ve won life and are brave enough to purely follow your heart. For the rest of you, today is about bringing your own joy into the workplace. If you need some inspiration, look no further than The Office’s “Office Olympics”, a true testament to how much time can be wasted on the clock.

Sometimes, fun comes from breaking the routines. If this is the case for you, a good brainstorming session for your workplace might begin with thinking of opposites. Although, it might be a good idea to get your boss on board first. If the boss likely won’t be convinced, rally your coworkers first so the boss has a harder time saying no. After all, healthy and happy employees lead to higher productivity and better customer service. So, a day of fun at work is only beneficial to the company’s long term success.

Ideas to Try on Fun at Work Day

• Create prizes employees really want, this will encourage the most participation and competitive spirits
  • Extra vacation day, leave an hour early, free lunch, boss’s office for an hour
• Role reversal: each employee has to fulfill another employee’s tasks for a few hours. This will likely build empathy, but it could also create pure chaos
• Set a dress code. Themes could be holiday-related, casual, pop-culture icons, etc.
• Plan a field trip. Truthfully, sometimes the only way to have fun at work is by leaving. 
  • Zoo, museum, vineyard, bar, movie theatre, bowling alley
• Unless you work around food, invite people to bring their pets to work. What better way to boost morale than furry friends?