what are the best and worst pranks you’ve seen at work?

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager .
In preparation for April Fools’ Day on Saturday, let’s discuss pranks at work.
One thing I’ve learned writing this column is that pranks are a lot more controversial than I’d previously realized. Some people see all pranks as inherently mean-spirited and thus never okay at work. I’d argue, though, that plenty of pranks aren’t mean-spirited, land the way they’re intended to, and are enjoyed by all.
The two keys to a good prank: (1) it doesn’t derive humor from someone being scared or humiliated or getting bad news and (2) it’s funny for everyone , not just the people executing it, which means prank-pullers need to know their targets well enough to be certain of how the joke will land. Some pranks fail that test, sometimes horrifyingly so .
Let’s talk about work pranks you’ve seen go well — meaning no one felt humiliated , terrified , or angry , and genuine merriment ensured. But let’s also hear about pranks that went wrong. Have at it in the comments.
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