Verizon Small Biz Blog

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Guest post by Ashli Norton creator of HappyOfficePranks.com, the site that helps you email funny workpranks to your boss, coworkers, and employees.

Even though April Fools’ Day is on a Sunday this year, the time is just about right when everyone begins to think of funny office prank ideas. Beat them to the punch with clever work pranks that won’t put your job at risk.

Fake Birthday

Isn’t it nice to work in an office that remembers your birthday? Well, it’s just weird when people think they remember your birthday on the wrong date. Go all out for your colleague’s ‘surprise’ birthday party. Buy the cake, get everyone else in the office to sing happy birthday, have everyone send birthday e-cards, the works.

Make sure at the end of it all, you bring out a huge gift from everyone in the office with a big ‘GOT YA’ inside. This prank is fun and everyone gets to eat cake at the end...win win.

Desk Rearranger

If someone in your office is a neat freak, the “Desk Arranger” prank is perfect for them. Before they come in, subtly move things they use everyday. Move their keyboard over to the opposite side, move their stapler from the top of their desk to the inside of their desk, their pen/pencil holder on top of their file cabinet...just do anything to make sure their space is a bit off.

Don’t do anything really obvious. The key is to move objects just enough to drive them nuts.

Fake Mail

Collect all your junk mail and blank envelopes from home, you know the ones that come in with your bills every month. Stuff those blank envelopes with the junk mail you receive and address them to the colleague you’re going to prank.

Place about 5-6 different pieces of the mail in their work mailbox everyday for about a week. It will drive them crazy trying to figure out how they are getting so much mysterious junk mail mixed with their office correspondence. Don’t give the prank away by including something with your name on it...DOH!

Annoying Paper Clips

Handling paper work throughout the day is headache enough, so what would make it worse...how about all of the paper clips being linked together?

Tediously link each of the paper clips on their desk together when they are away. This way every time they reach for a paper clip it takes the longest time to get just one. They never even have to know it was you.

Which Keyboard is It?

Before everyone comes in, gather all the keyboards in the office and hook up only one to a computer in the office. The rest must appear as if they are hooked up.

Now the entire office has to determine which keyboard is actually connected and which aren’t. Nothing says welcome to work than figuring out which keyboards belong to whom.

I Just Need a Pen

This one is simple, but will drive someone crazy. Remove all the pens from their desk before they get to work. Leave them not one writing tool and make sure only one is available for everyone else in the office so they can’t necessarily lend out one.

Check their drawers, their cabinets, the shared office pens location, everywhere. Make them magically reappear on their desk just before they start getting upset.

Remember, work pranks are fun but they shouldn’t destroy property, cause too much interruption in the office, or cause harm to the business or the business’ reputation. No prank is worth losing your job over.

Have you tried any of these pranks above? Please share in the comments section what pranks you have pulled in the office.