Workplace Banter

New study reveals what Brits REALLY think about workplace banter

With the average Brit spending 36.7 hours of their week at work, banter is bound to enter the workplace, from a self-deprecating joke to poking fun at something or someone.  But is banter in the workplace really welcomed? A new study conducted by language learning platform Preply reveals just this.  https://preply.com/en/blog/uk-banter-capitals/  According to the results, the majority of colleagues (41%) found banter in the workplace to be acceptable, ‘as long as it is light-hearted and appropriate’, for example, teasing a colleague about a favourite sports team or sharing funny stories from the weekend. The cities that were the biggest advocates of bantering at work were Plymouth (55%), Leeds (54%), and Norwich (54%).  Women (41%) were also slightly more likely than men (40%) to enjoy a pun with colleagues, whilst those 55+ were having the most laughs at work (42%). The second largest percentage of Brits (36%) believed banter should only be accepted if ‘it’s not offensive or disrespectful to any employee’.  On the flip side, a smaller 11% of Brits felt that there was no place for banter at work, stating ‘it should be avoided in the workplace for the sake of professionalism’. See the full breakdown of Brits’ attitudes toward humour on the job below…

Opinion
Percentage
It should be accepted as long as it is light-hearted and appropriate
41.00%
It should only be accepted if it is not offensive or disrespectful to any employee
36.00%
It can be an effective way to build relationships and create a positive work environment
29.00%
It can cause tension between colleagues and reduce productivity
14.00%
None of these
16.00%
All forms of banter should be avoided in the workplace for the sake of professionalism
11.00%