of times, from lighthearted jokes that spark laughter between colleagues to elaborate setups meant to break the monotony of the daily grind.
When done well, they can build camaraderie, relieve stress, and create memorable moments employees talk about for years. But sometimes, the line between fun and foolish gets crossed.
A prank that seems harmless in planning can trigger panic, cause real damage, or even jeopardize someone’s job. The office, after all, is a professional environment, and what feels like a quick laugh to one person may be a serious matter to another.
Here are some times that show how what’s funny to some, might not be funny to other and can spiral into unintended consequences.
1
We did the classic prank: screenshot the desktop, hide the icons, and set the screenshot as the background. We thought our coworker would just be confused and ask for help. Instead, he decided it was a virus and reinstalled Windows, wiping all his un-back
2
At an outdoor event, a guard radioed in a “BIG FIGHT” on the other side of the property. The supervisor rushed over with backup, only to find two squirrels wrestling.
3
An engineer returned from vacation and couldn’t find his office. His coworkers had boarded up and plastered over the door, making it disappear.
4
As teens, we pranked our theater manager with 35 pounds of flour dumped from the balcony. It hit him perfectly, covering him head to toe. What we didn’t expect was the massive white cloud that coated half the theater, carpet, seats, concession stand, ever
5
In the ’90s, my coworker Greg sneaked into a grocery store breakout room, grabbed the intercom, and barked like a dog. A supervisor panicked, thinking a rabid dog was loose, and started evacuations. Chaos spread until it was revealed no dog existed.
6
At a call center, Fergus left scissors on his friend Niles’ chair as a prank. Niles sat down without noticing and was injured. He ended up at urgent care, and his bloodstained chair had to be replaced.
7
My old boss once gathered everyone and announced the company had been sold, we’d all need to reapply for our jobs. People gasped, some cried. Five minutes later he shouted, “April Fools!” No one laughed, and the mood stayed sour all day.
8
A coworker listed my number in a fake Craigslist ad for concert tickets. My phone blew up for hours with calls and texts, even after the show had started. I got him back by signing him up for a mortgage-refinance site. He got telemarketing calls for month
9
In 1980, a Boston TV producer aired a fake news segment claiming a local hill had erupted with lava. The prank caused mass panic, overloaded emergency lines, and cost the producer his job.
10
At an Intel plant in 2012, workers taped a “kick me” sign to a coworker’s back. He was kicked and ridiculed all day, then sued. The pranksters lost their jobs and were convicted of misdemeanor battery.
11
In 2003, a clothing-store employee in Columbus called her boss, pretending the store was being robbed at gunpoint. Before she could admit it was a prank, the boss called police. Four patrol cars arrived, and she was arrested for inducing panic.
12
An employee stuck a “Stop Crying” sticker in the office restroom, thinking it was harmless. Management disagreed. The prank was deemed insensitive, and the employee was fired.
13
A law firm emailed staff about a new rule: no work emails after 11 p.m. or on weekends. People cheered, until it was revealed as an April Fools’ joke. Employees were furious, and leadership had to issue an apology.
14
At a New Jersey police department, the chief allegedly tampered with the coffee pot, exposed himself, and even microwaved hot sauce to mimic pepper spray. These “jokes” led to lawsuits and state investigations.
15
A worker swapped a coworker’s keyboard keys to spell silly words. Under deadline pressure, the coworker thought the keyboard was broken and called IT. The keyboard was replaced, the project was delayed, and the prankster got written up.
