You've been planning the best April Fool's Day joke to play on your co-workers, but before you go ahead with it, you should know that your co-workers are unlikely to approve.
In a recent survey by The Creative Group, 58% of advertising and marketing executives said pranks are unsuitable for the office, 33% said it was somewhat appropriate and only 4% said it was very appropriate.
"With many creative teams challenged with high workloads, office pranks may be viewed more as a distraction than an amusement," said Lara Dodo, vice-president of The Creative Group's Canadian operations.
Dodo says pranks can also potentially alienate or hurt someone's feelings if not carried out in good taste.
Researchers talked to 200 marketing executives, 100 employees and 50 advertising executives in a telephone survey.
But just because an April Fool's prank might be frowned upon, it doesn't mean you can't joke around while at work.
"Well-intentioned humour when shared amongst teams can create a positive work environment, especially when business is demanding. Some light-hearted wit can increase morale and motivation, resulting in improved productivity and retention," Dodo said.
(Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)
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(Agencies)
也許你一直在「謀劃」愚人節這天搞個什麼惡作劇來戲弄同事一把，但在行動之前，你應該知道你的同事很可能並不喜歡這樣的做法。
創意集團近日開展的一項調查顯示，58%的廣告和市場專員表示，辦公室裡不適合搞惡作劇，33%的人認為「基本可行」，僅有4%的受訪者「完全可行」。
創意集團加拿大代表處副總裁蘿拉•多多說：「很多創意團隊工作任務繁重，辦公室惡作劇可能更多地會被視為一種幹擾，而非娛樂消遣。」
多多稱，如果惡作劇的方式不得當，還有可能疏遠或傷害別人的感情。
調查人員共對200名市場專員、100名僱員和50名廣告專員進行了電話訪問。
儘管愚人節惡作劇可能會讓人不悅，但這並不意味著不能和同事開玩笑。
多多說：「同事之間開開善意的玩笑有助於營造積極的工作氛圍，尤其是在工作壓力大的情況下。一些輕鬆的小幽默還能提升士氣和工作積極性，從而提高員工的工作效率，並有助於留住員工。」
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（中國日報網英語點津 Julie 編輯蔡姍姍）