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.

#1 New Office Neighbor Has A Very Sensible Office Door Policy

Image credits: aezro

#2 Coworker Made This For Me. I Guess He’s Trying To Send Me A Message

Image credits: CrazyChrain

#3 I Found This At Work Today

Image credits: maskedme

According to the expert, there are many upsides to bringing humor into the workplace, no matter what the person’s position in the company. However, there are some limits that should be adhered to.

“Even in the job interview, hiring managers often want to be assured that the candidate can be relaxed enough to roll with the punches—and possesses some level of levity. It demonstrates that the applicant doesn’t take things too seriously, and can remain calm under pressure,” workplace expert Taylor explained to Bored Panda via email.

#4 A Coworker Got Tired Of People Asking Where Ed Is

Image credits: ImJohnathan

#5 Winters Are Tough For Slower People

Image credits: Flyingpigtx

#6 This Is In The Office Bathroom Where I Work

Image credits: PixelWarrior5253

“Once on the job, humor can accomplish a great deal: 

• Humor breaks tension barriers, which can often arise in a workplace setting. It offers a more objective, healthy perspective on issues; that work is part of life—not a ‘life sentence.’
• Levity makes the job more fun. People should look forward to their work life. By engaging in a little humor, employees can be themselves, as they create more business friendships.
• Humor helps increase productivity and employee engagement. When people get along and show their more human side, motivation and productivity increase. On the flip side, a rigid, serious work culture can make it difficult to produce optimal results.
• Humor has been proven to increase knowledge retention. Countless studies show that the brain is more receptive to information when humor is injected into the subject. As humans, we are drawn to laughter, and undoubtedly, this increases the level of interest and ability to learn, especially in a work environment.”

#7 This Brightened My Day At Work

Image credits: madirosario3

#8 After A 50+ Email Chain With All The Men At My Company, We Decided It Was Only Fair To Have A Shark Tank In The Bathroom If The Women Got An Orchid

Our office manager listened, and this is what showed up on monday morning.

Image credits: milkandrelish

#9 Spotted In The Washroom At Work

Image credits: tgabben

Taylor, the author of ‘Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant,’ explained that levity is an important factor in motivating employees. “It creates a friendlier environment where people want to produce their best work. When a manager uses humor, it is a reminder that ‘we are all in this together,'” she said.

“Humor and humility are qualities highly sought after by employees in a manager. If your boss can laugh at themselves, it demonstrates to the team that no one is infallible. It counters the all-too-common expectation of an authoritarian management style.”

#10 Someone At My Work Is A Realist

Image credits: Begna112

#11 The Coffee Maker At My Office Was Out Of Order

Image credits: gem_bug

#12 My Office Held An Easter Egg Decorating Contest. I’m Not Artistically Inclined, So This Is What I Presented

A Master Thesis in Minimalistic Design, 2018
Medium: Egg
“As we stare into the blank abyss of whiteness that coats the egg’s surface, we are forced to look deep into our own souls, to discover what the vast blankness represents to us. Yet we are also forced to imagine what is missing, what could be filling the blank space. It is our own creative conscious that is the masterpiece.”

Image credits: Pattmost20

However, the expert shared that even though humor in the workplace can be a great motivator, it can, at times, be used inappropriately. So there have to be some common sense limits.

“For example, humor that’s used at the expense of others, is insensitive or offensive, will generally backfire,” Taylor pointed out.

“Levity is a good thing as long as it is well-placed and well-meaning. You can be witty and not sarcastic. You can be funny and not hurtful. Humor used to bully or embarrass others will ultimately be a detriment to anyone’s career,” she told Bored Panda.

“A good rule of thumb is to exercise caution if you feel your words may be taken wrong. Better not to experiment at the risk of offending others. Use humor with good intentions.”

#13 Here Is A Sign I Saw At Work

Image credits: crunch465

#14 Saw This At Work And Thought You Guys Might Appreciate This

Image credits: Snubber_

#15 Office Participation

Image credits: hootersbutwithcats

Humor benefits us so much, frankly, it’s ridiculous! For starters, there are numerous physical benefits to laughing often and hard. Verywell Mind notes that laughter stimulates your lungs, improves your heart health, and can ease your discomfort. Meanwhile, Deborah Serani, Psy.D., explains on Psychology Today that laughter can reduce even chronic pain.

Not only that, but laughter is great for distracting you from whatever problems might be looming over you at the moment. It’s hard to stress out about those five unfair work deadlines when you’re giggling at your office BFF’s quips.

Speaking of stress, laughter can reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This means that laughter helps strengthen your immune system. What’s more, good jokes can give you a fresh new perspective on things. Yes, things at the office might seem unbearably tough, but if you manage to find the silver lining and keep your optimism, then you’re miles ahead of your coworkers.

#16 So They Installed A New Coffee Machine At Work, And Before Anyone Could Use It, I Placed This Sign On It. Best Three Hours Of My Life

Image credits: nipse79

#17 Forever In The Friend Zone

Image credits: jcravenw

#18 My Friend May Have Way Too Much Time On His Hands

Image credits: Lolo4369

Laughter is also a wonderful way to bring people together. If your colleagues are super serious all the time and barely ever crack a smile, you might start wondering whether you’d be better off jumping ship or searching for greener pastures. People spend a huge part of their lives at work, so it only makes sense that they want it to be pleasurable.

Trading quips and making witty comments can help you forge strong friendships with your coworkers. On top of that, a bit of quality, well-timed humor can make you seem more human—that’s especially helpful for managers who may want to have more down-to-earth work relationships with their staff.

It helps a lot if your workers see you as someone who is empathetic and approachable, not someone who’s a soulless, faceless corporate drone who only cares about profit. At the same time, you don’t want to create the impression that you don’t take anything seriously, either. It’s a fine balance.

#19 This Was In The Office Today

Image credits: reddit.com

#20 I Found This On My Break Room Table At Work

Image credits: LouSpowel

#21 Our Office Fridge Today

Image credits: jimthehacksawduggan

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

Image credits: casual_observr

#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

Image credits: emzieees

#24 Debbie Needs To Stop Stealing Other People’s Food

Image credits: DstinationKeplerB

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 Our Facility Manager Solved All Of Our Confusion With The Bathroom Lock

Image credits: joelvan77

#26 Broken Pepsi Machine At Work

Image credits: Exalted81

#27 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

Image credits: TrekkieGod

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!

#28 When You Request A Wall Clock For Your Office, But Your Boss Is A Dork

Image credits: StaplePaper

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

Image credits: jyc23

#30 Gingerbread Competition At Work

Image credits: bown12345

#31 Unexpected Humor At Work

Image credits: Arjun7021

#32 The Coffee Machine At My Work Broke, So Someone Decided To Let Management Know It’s Time For An Upgrade

Image credits: iseewithsound_

#33 Our Office Candy Guy Left Us A Note

Image credits: Jazullo913

#34 I Found This At Work Today

Image credits: reddit.com

#35 I Needed To Prove To My Coworker He’s A Deep Sleeper

Image credits: ZeroCreativityHere

#36 Office Recycling

Image credits: BigTwubble

#37 It’s My Coworker’s Last Day, So We Made A Pillow For The Office To Remember Him. He Wasn’t Happy

Image credits: maxxl

#38 My Coworker Floored Me With This Tidbit Of Info, So I Had To Shame Him

Image credits: Iam_Sancho

#39 My Colleague Got Stung In The Mouth By A Bee. Our Boss Framed The Stinger And Left It On His Desk

Image credits: Sir_Z

#40 My Boss Gave My Coworker A New Monitor. He Didn’t Get Caught Doing Anything, He’s Just Blind As Hell

Image credits: Narkolepse

#41 Going Away Cake For A Much Loved Coworker. He Will Be Missed

Image credits: wish4mor

#42 Daves For Life

“Yes! My name is Dave. Thanks for the free drinks! Daves 4 life!!!”

Image credits: reddit.com

#43 How To Prank An Office That Just Got A New Copier

Image credits: badbagel37

#44 My Boss Emailed Me And Said: “I Think We Should Get This For The Conference Room”

Image credits: thenewyorkgod

#45 Sometimes Your Coworkers Are Jerks

Image credits: Im_Aerodactyl

#46 Please Do Not Print Large Jobs. Or, By All Means, Please Do

Image credits: briansolis

#47 My Office Is A Fun Place

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#48 I Left A Banana At The Office Overnight And Found It Like This The Next Morning: “Here Lies Banana, ?-2021”

Image credits: HolePunchJim

#49 My Coworker Handed Me This And Walked Off Without Saying Anything. I’m A Guy

Image credits: reddit.com

#50 April Fools Prank At Work

Image credits: EzioAuditore74