The pitfalls of play: why workplace fun is a serious business

Workplace managers are creating fun elements and environments to lure people back to the office. But striking the right note can be difficult to achieve – as the scientific research on fun at work suggests.

Due to stress in the workplace being on the rise in the UK, finding ways to relieve it is extremely important and pivotal for a healthy and productive workforce. Finding activities for your team to do, whether they’re big or small ones, is a great way to try and tackle workplace stress but organising them can be an extensively complicated task on its own.

When researching the positive effects of office fun, Petelczyc and his team found that it has been “linked to reduced fatigue, stress and boredom, to protection against burnout and increased job satisfaction, as well as to creative thinking and positive bonds with colleagues.” However, in response to this, Owler, Morrison and Plester argue that office fun “can compromise the sense of dignity and self-respect that workers can derive from working life.”

So, office fun, where do people stand? To find out, read the full insight here.

By Sally Augustin.