Research shows humans laugh on average 17.5 times a day. Clearly, more research is needed, on the effects of lockdown and remote working, on the current average.
Children may laugh 300 times a day, so I suppose we become more serious as we get older.
The research does not show how long people, on average, are incapacitated by laughter. Clearly any time lost in the workplace is a drain on productivity.
This is not the behaviour you want in the workplace; you want people leaning into the job.
Another much more worrying factor is the risk of prosecution from the raft of discrimination laws.
Obviously, you can’t make jokes about Essex people, blondes or people who drive electric cars. But so many of us, just know that you are laughing at us!
If ever there was a need for an HR policy, this is it. The policy needs to make sure the standard of expected behaviour at work, closely defines people’s reactions to humour.
Perhaps a maximum allowable percentage increase in oral width would suffice. A simple measurement during employee induction of head width and mouth width at rest, could be kept as part of the employee’s record: A Laughter Extension Percentage figure or LEP.
Now we are all monitored by CCTV and webcams, the LEP can be used to detect any signs of excessive humour.
The Law Lords have yet to determine the LEP that can be used as the basis for gross misconduct. Meanwhile, we all need to keep our lips pursed.
There is clearly a need for advanced AI here. Those moments of discovery, of understanding, those Eureka moments, often induce oral activity like laughing.
It would be a pity if the workings of the LEP stamped down on the promulgation of new ideas, but until this unintended consequence is explored by the legal profession, the risk of prosecution for discriminatory practice remains, until the AI has developed sufficiently.
It would be wise to ensure nobody in the workplace learns anything remotely unexpected.
Better to continue doing exactly what always has been done. It got us to this point after all!
From tomorrow, to be safe, ensure your staff have a plentiful supply of fresh lemons to suck on whenever they feel a Eureka moment or a laugh building.
Clearly laughter at work must be stamped out!