Let’s face it, the daily challenge of the 9-5 can get a little bit exhausting every now and then. But studies have shown that business leaders like Google, who allow their employees 20% of the working day as free time, enjoy enhanced productivity and engagement away from breaks.
And what could be a better way to spend that free time than by interacting with colleagues in healthy (and hilarious) office pranks? With this in mind, Company Away Days have found the 11 best office hijinks to build team relationships and boost morale.
Where’s my wallpaper, dude?
A tried and true classic. Wait for your unsuspecting colleague to go to the toilet, or break for lunch. Then get to work, change their wallpaper of choice to something hilarious and hope that they haven’t locked their computer. Favourites include fluffy kittens, the crest of a rival football team or a group photo of One Direction.
Well jell
As made famous by The Office, this prank is both funny and creative. Pinch your victims favourite bit of stationary, whether it’s a stapler, pen or pair of scissors, encase it in liquid jelly and refrigerate. Once the jelly is well and truly set, return their item to them and watch for the look of sheer confusion, mild frustration and then hilarity as they realise where they’ve seen this before.
Season’s greetings
A festive special that involves hard preparation, craftiness and a lot of wrapping paper. Construct a fake “desk” and “presents” from bits of cardboard and wrap them up in Christmas wrapping paper. Then replace your target’s desk with your wrapped, mock version and wait for this seasonal surprise to unwrap before your eyes.
Going for gold(fish)
This prank is particularly good if you’ve been thinking about getting some new pets for the office. Remove the files from a frequently used filing cabinet and line the edges with thick plastic lining. Then, fill it with water and release your new goldfish! The next time your colleagues come to the drawer they’ll have a shocking and cute gift waiting for them.
Cooler water
If you’ve got a watercooler in the office, then this is a great way to prank your co-workers while giving them a bit of the treat at the same time. Simply replace the water in your machine with tonic water or lemonade, and then wait for the “does this water taste different to you or…”
The photo gallery
We’ve all got an ID photo on the computer network that we aren’t proud of. So, if your boss is convinced he’s the office’s most attractive man, show him that we’re all as imperfect as each other by printing out enlarged A4 versions of an awful profile picture and plastering them over his desk, chair and computer screen. And maybe buy him some apology doughnuts in advance?
Please note…
Similar to the “Photo Gallery”, and we’d only recommend this if your office has a very good sense of humour. Simply plaster your chosen co-workers desk in sticky notes, and we mean totally. If done well, you won’t be able to see anything except yellow and pink paper. If done very well, your victim will find some cookies or their favourite treat waiting for them under it all!
Disappearing act
This brilliant prank will take some DIY SOS-level skills, serious commitment and possibly the coolest boss in the world not to have a serious issue with you afterwards.
Say it, don’t spray it…
How good are your acting skills? You’ll need them for this prank. Find the most germophobic person in your workplace, then make them aware you’re poorly through fake coughing, sneezing etc. After doing this for a few days, force a sneeze behind them, spray a little water and watch for the horrified reaction.
Keyed up
You’ll need to put in an hour after work for this prank to work, but it really is so satisfying and worth the extra effort. Once your target has gone home, take a small screwdriver and prise off the keys of his/her keyboard before rearranging them in a new pattern, possibly with a hidden message to let them know “whodunit”.
The Year of the Prank
There’s a saying that says taking a little bit of time each day to help somebody out is good for the soul. Well we say that taking a little bit of time each day to prank your co-workers is good for productivity. Which is exactly what the guys at Channel Super Fun did to one unlucky colleague. For a whole year.
