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fun at work day

Call your boss! Whip out your electronic calendar! Organize an urgent team meeting! The 1st of april (or, if it's a holiday, the first Thursday in April) is, since 1996, International Fun at Work Day, as recognized by Chase’s Official Calendar of Events. The idea was suggested by Playfair, and is now celebrated by innumerable companies, departments and professionals around the world.

Fun at Work Day is the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves that work does not have to boring or solemn to be serious and efficient, and that a fun and playful atmosphere offers important benefits in the workplace. Even it times of crisis. Particularly in times of crisis!

In 2008, coinciding with the launch of our book Alta Diversión: los beneficios del humor en el trabajo, we at serious fun decided to spread the news about Fun at Work Day in our home country of Spain, which we felt was sadly beginning to lose its traditional Mediterranean laid-back attitude to life. We sent out a call which had a totally unexpected success --real managers, professionals and enterpreneurs joined us for a mock political demonstration in favour of "More fun and less Prozac" (among other slogans), and we were featured in practically all of the news media, from Spain's most popular newscast to the late-night show of Andreu Buenafuente.

In 2009 we organized a new event, despite the global economic downturn which had begun the previous autumn. We visited Madrid's Parque del Retiro to present an urgent Rescue Plan to save the many businesspeople, managers and workers who had now been left floating in perilous waters after the sinking of the economy. Our emergency package included numerous humorous resources and invaluable advice which was broadcast to the entire nation by the TV, radio and print journalists who joined us once again. El Mundo, for example, prepared this video. You can see some of the photos we took here.

In 2010, on the 8th of April (as the 1st was a holiday in Spain), we took the streets with cheery umbrellas, "singing in the rain" all the way to the Madrid Stock Exchange, with a giant cheque for the President of the Bolsa in the value of "1,000,000 jokes, gags and jests", exchangeable at the Banco Central de Humor Positivo. On this occasion we made the TV news on TVE, Antena3 TVand Tele5 and were featured widely in the media. Watch this video for a good idea of the serious fun we engaged in with our band of bowler hat-wearing executives.

By 2011, we were so sick and tired of dire economic news that we decided to take the bull by the horns and organize a "running of the Crisis" in true Spanish style. Gasp and gape at our bravery in this spectacular video of the event.

We guided and taunted the horrifying beast down the narrow streets of Madrid, finally trapping it and subjecting it to the ancient punishment of tossing it up and down on a blanket ("mantear" in Spanish). We sang fiesta songs, danced according to the traditions, and frankly enjoyed getting back on this nightmarish creature that has been making us so miserable for the past three years.

Once again it was a huge media success, being featured in El País, El Mundo, TVE (minute 36:30) , Antena3 TV, La Sexta, Cuatro, Radio Nacional, and Cadena SER. Hemingway would have loved it!

In 2012, despite the apocalyptic prophecies of both Mayans and economists, we celebrated Fun at Work Day by holding the 1st Professional Career Obstacle Course (The joke works better in Spanish: "Carrera" means both "career" and "race"). Participants had to overcome all kinds of difficulties and barriers typical of the competitive world of work --a devilishly contorted selection process; bizarre requests by the boss, customers and the financial markets; dog-eat-dog political manoeuvring; and even the financial crisis itself-- in order to reach the finish line. Some of the highlights of this peculiar pentathlon can be seen in our photo album of the event. It was featured on the TVE (from 41:45), Antena 3, El Mundo, El País, RNE (from 10:34) and La Cope, among other news media. And for the first time "Día de la Diversión" was Global Trending Topic on Twitter!

Companies join the fun

Many Spanish companies have celebrated Fun at Work Day with us, including Centraldereservas.com,Electrolux, Balumba, La Huerta del País, Netex, HUB Madrid, Halcourier, Agudiza el Ingenio, Mysporticket.com, FCT Global, Natiboo, Enreda, Terapia Urbana, TV13, Lima Publicitarios, and DVA Global Energy Services, recognizing the importance of fun and humour in the workplace. If you or you company decide to celebrate it, let us know. The best way is to make up your own ideas. Here are a few, mostly low-budget ones intended for these difficult economic times...

• Origami session: Paper-folding is a time-honoured office pastime. And one of the cheapest. With imagination and a bit of patience, the humble A4 can be transformed into almost anything: a rose, a samurai hat, a tyranosaurus rex...
• Paper airplane contest in the hallway: Once again, a bit of recycled paper is all we need. This time you can add a competitive touch: the winner will receive a fantastic (but not too expensive) prize.
• Ugly tie/shoe competition: A fun way of putting those horrendous fashion items to good use.
• Recycling workshop: It's fun to find new uses for old stuff. A wallet made out of an orange-juice carton. A lamp made out of plastic cups. A handbag made with old LP records...
• Monopoly: The famous boardgame was developed by Charles Darrow, an unemployed man during the Great Depression of the 1930's. It's a classic way of playing with play money and properties, when the real ones are out of reach.
• Singin’ in the rain: Organize a session for writing a fun song about the economic crisis, with a possible final concert. The best way to do it is to choose a known song and change the words, trying to keep the original rhythm and rhyme. This can be organized by deparments or work groups, with a prize for the best lyrics and interpretation.
• Throttle the crisis: Finally... create a horrifying, ugly, frightful scarecrow that represents the Economic Crisis, and subject it to some kind of ritual punishment. That'll teach it!