Joking around at work

Everyone jokes around and it's funny, but when I do it, I get accused of screwing around too much. Like when I run from someone and yell that he's gonna cannibalize me every time I'm around him. Or when it's time for me to take over his position at drive thru or w/e and I jokingly walked off. He said to quit playing; he has other stuff to do. I also once ran off and yelled he's gonna murder me.

I was just joking around like everyone else. WHy is that a problem?

I'm so sorry, ruby2011 What kind of jokes do your colleagues usually make at work? Perhaps it's just a difference in sense of humor. I have to admit that running away and yelling is a bit of an extreme way to joke around. Perhaps that's what's bothering them. That's just my opinion though. I'd suggest to just observe how they behave for a while and react accordingly. I'm so sorry, I know it's hard. It takes a lot of practice. You can do this! You're strong, I know that. I believe in you. Feel free to PM me anytime. Let me know if I can do something to help you. Wish you good luck! Let us know how it goes. Sending many hugs to you

Sounds to me that your type of joking around is the problem. It sounds very immature type of joking & definitely not appropriate at the work place.

Ruby, I have to agree with Eskie and Mickey. Your type of joking is highly inappropriate for a work environment and can actually sound disturbing to others. Aren't you in fast food? Isn't there no running in the workplace? Why are you running around there, or is that just how you worded it? There should also be no yelling in a work environment.

What type of jokes do others make?

If jokes create unsafe environment (running)/can scare away customers if they overhear bad jokes or screaming/ bring up disturbing crimes like murder or cannibalism/disturbing peace if they are loud/stress others out by suggesting you walk away and overall make work environment less tolerable then these jokes are inappropriate.

Do you have examples of other people’s jokes? Maybe we can point out the differences if there are any

Someone joking he's gonna put someone else in ICU.

Can you tell me a full example of how others joke around?

Do others run and yell? Do others pretend to walk away from their post?

Like can you tell me a specific exchange between another person and the person you are referring to that you joke with?

Also is this person you are joking with a manager?

I haven't seen others run and yell or walk away from their post. In this example, he's the manager. Managers also joke around but it's somehow wrong for me to do so.

Then I think it may be in the way you are joking around at work, Ruby. It might be a bit over the top with the things that you are saying and the way you are acting when joking around. It’s probably a bit too much. Maybe just try to tone it down a bit. At work you shouldn’t be running saying “he’s gonna murder me or canabilize me” When it’s time to take your post to relieve another co worker from that post then just don’t pretend to walk away-just start your work. It’s probably the times you are joking around and the way you are joking around that is turning people off.

There are different kinds of joking. Dang joking about cannibalism in a fast food restaurant is disgusting it is not joking & is not even in comparison with an ICU comment.

Running around & yelling is just plain grade school behavior, not appropriate for a work environment.

So your manager doesn't run around & yell, he just makes comments? Like you don't see the difference? Maybe your managers comment is actually not joking so much as saying that whoever he is talking to is actually bothering him & they better stop it.

He has joked about killing a half of us from time to time, including me. I simply reacted by pretending to avoid him and announcing loudly he's gonna kill me. I thought it over. Whenever I joke around, it sounds serious, or so I was told. idk why people seem to take it seriously when I joke.

When I pretended to walk away, he told me to stop playing. He got things to do. He must be pretty hell bent on whatever it was he has to do.

Well they were talking about who is transferring to what specific store. One of them joked about transferring somewhere and the subsequent comment was about transferring him to ICU.

Ruby, I don't know if this guy is serious or not. The fact is, neither do you. If he is "joking" about something that serious, please tell someone.

If you are in a relationship with this guy, please get out. He sounds dangerous.

It is still not running around & yelling like a child or talking about cannibalism or murder in a restaurant environment or creating a scene in the work place. Other workers don't look at it as joking they just look at it as the person being childishly obnoxious.

This seems to be a repeating issue at work for you, as this sort of behavior has been brought up in the past. If there’s difficulty understanding why your jokes are inappropriate compared to others (which may or may not also be inappropriate), then don’t risk it. Just don’t joke around at work. Period. Don’t try to compare your actions to coworkers’ actions. It hasn’t helped in the past. I know it doesn’t feel fair. I know it feels like a double standard. It’s okay to feel frustrated by that. But this has been a repetitive, long term issue so just stop joking altogether, whether you understand why or not, or you could lose your job.

What was the context?

You haven’t seen others running or yelling or walking away because those aren’t appropriate behaviors at work

He is a manager. So yes he is hell bent on getting work done.

He is her manager. Where did she say they are in a relationship

Fair enough. What about pretending to walk away from post? He was covering my drive thru while I went on break. When my break was over, I was supposed to relieve him. I walked one step towards him, 2 steps back, 1 step forward again, 2 steps back. I was playing around and he didn't think it was funny.

Yet, I remember the time he pretended to grab someone else by the earring and both of them thought it was funny. That was right after I ran from him loudly announcing he was gonna eat me btw. It gets hard when I imitate others and it ended up different.

Repeatedly, you are behaving inappropriately at every job and then you want to compare your behavior to what others are doing.

Stop joking at work. Period. The end. Your manner of joking is not working.

Stop worrying about how others are behavior. Police your own behavior. Be pleasant and cooperative. No running. No yelling. Especially no talk about cannibals or murder.

He seems to be a bit off. Regardless how he acts you should remain professional. You are there to make sure costumers get their food order and to get paycheck. It’s ok to goof around outside of work

Ruby I reiterate that your joking is not appropriate. No wonder you have difficulties in your workplace.

When I used to manage a coffee shop I reminded my staff that every single action they did was amplified multiple times over. I told them they were always on a stage and everything they did was a performance.

What might be appropriate off that stage likely isn't on it.

What I mean is that everything you do draws attention to yourself. You are not only making your coworkers feel uncomfortable but you are also creating an awkard environment for your customers - and that is never good.

You really need to learn to stop, to hesitate before you do things, and ask yourself if that action is appropriate or not. By the reaction you describe of your coworkers now your actions most definitely aren't.

Stop before you act.

Ask yourself.....

How will this contribute to my working relationships?
How will this affect my work day?
How will my customers react to this?
Does this fit in with the work environment?
Will everyone find this funny? (if your answer isn't a complete yes, don't do it)

I think you also need to consider the actions of your coworkers. In what way are their actions responses to that which is going on? How are their actions timed to what goes on in the workplace (ie. do they behave in such manner around customers? around leadership?). You also need to consider hard what about their actions and statements makes them humorous.

Remember to stop and think.

Better yet, leave the monkeying around for your own time. You have an obligation to your employer to do your job and not misbehave.

Don't pretend anything. Your break was over time for you to get back to work, not pretend. You are not being paid to pretend, you are being paid to do what your job assignment is.

It doesn't matter what others do or did in the past. You know you have had problems joking around on previous jobs that got you in trouble....why do you insist on repeating behaviors that got you in trouble before (all your joking & goofing off) Just do your job.

I think it’s wise to remember that you are hourly employee, which means you get paid when you are there, so if you run around or act goofy you are getting paid for that.