BLOG: How Much Fun are You Having at Work?

Since I have started interning here at the chamber, I have been so surprised at how much fun the real life workplace can be. With Ruthe and Jessy around, there is never a dull moment, and I always find myself looking forward to what the next day has in store. The past few weeks have been especially entertaining here at the chamber. Around Christmas time, Ruthe got an idea to make a video highlighting why local businesses should become chamber members. We all had fun coming up with goofy ideas for things we could put into the video, but it wasn’t until the beginning of February that we finally got around to creating our masterpiece. The filming process was hilarious and I laughed so hard watching all of our outtakes. I was a little sad when we were finally finished, just because I had so much fun in the process. I started wondering if I will ever be able to find a job in the future that I will enjoy as much as I enjoy the chamber. Keeping this in mind, I thought I would ask our bloggers; how important is it to have fun at work?

A survey by Hodge-Cronin & Associates found that out of 747 CEO’s, 98% preferred perspective employees with a good sense of humor compared to those without. Not only do CEO’s prefer funny employees, but 84% of these executives also believe that employees with a good sense of humor do a better job as well.  This phenomenon seems to go both ways. Employees who surveyed that they enjoy their job and have fun doing everyday tasks were also found to be more creative, productive and better decision makers. They also take less sick and personal days, than people who said they do not have fun at work. 

While having fun at work can help in a professional sense, it can also improve a person’s physical and mental health. Laughter releases endorphins which lowers stress, boosts the immune system, and can even reduce pain. When they say that laughter is the best medicine, they really aren’t kidding! Keeping all this in mind, it’s easy to see why happier employees make better workers. Here at the chamber, there is never a lack of laughter and we can only hope that this will make us the longest living and healthiest chamber around. :)

 We want to hear how you guys have fun at work and what makes you smile! If you feel like you need a good laugh, be sure to watch our video that we had so much fun making. (Especially our blooper reel.) And with that, we hope that you have a wonderful week full of fun and laughter. :)

-Megan