The Funniest Pranks to Pull at the Office Right Now

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Show off your sense of humor to make your boss and coworkers laugh
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While some of the pranks from The Office get a little out of hand, there are tons of humorous and harmless practical jokes you can play at your own office. Whether you’re preparing for April Fool’s Day or just want to lighten the mood at your workplace, we’ve found some of the funniest pranks for you to try yourself. Keep reading to find the perfect prank to pull off at work (just make sure you check with your manager first so you don’t get in trouble!).

Best Practical Jokes to Pull at Work

Office Pranks Summary
  • Tape a sign on printers and copiers saying that they’re voice-operated.
  • Sync a wireless mouse to a colleague’s computer and move it throughout the day.
  • Swap a coworker’s pens for crayons or colored pencils.
  • Put tape on the bottom of a colleague’s mouse to make it unusable.
  • Switch items between two of your coworkers’ desks.
  • Fill a candy bowl with a mix of M&Ms and Skittles.
  • Change computer settings to flip your coworker’s screen or slow down their mouse.
1

Put a “voice-activated” sign on office equipment.

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  1. Get your coworkers to talk to the printer or copier.
    You can even put the manufacturer’s logo on the top to make the sign look legit. Then, sit back and listen to your coworkers test this new smart technology throughout the day.[1]
    • Alternatively, put a sign on a soap or paper towel dispenser in the bathroom that says it’s “motion-activated,” then walk in occasionally to catch your coworkers waving helplessly at it.
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2

Make a coworker call the local zoo.

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  1. Waste your coworker’s time with a pointless phone call.
    When your coworker steps away from their desk, leave them a sticky note saying they missed a call from “Ms. Lyon” or “Mr. Hawk.” When they make the call, they’ll either realize it’s a prank right from the start, or you can laugh as you watch them get more confused as they stay on the line.[2]
3

Mix M&Ms and Skittles in a candy bowl.

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  1. Leave a chocolatey-fruity surprise for colleagues in the break room. Put out a candy bowl where everyone can find it. When your coworkers help themselves to a handful, their taste buds will be shocked by the mixture of fruit and chocolate![3]
    • If no one in your office is allergic to peanut butter, throw some Reese’s Pieces in the bowl for good measure.
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4

Put tape over a mouse’s laser sensor.

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  1. Stop a coworker’s mouse from working with this quick joke.
    When they step away from their computer, find the red sensor at the bottom of your coworker’s mouse and cover it with a small piece of tape. When they go to work, their cursor won’t move around, no matter how much they fiddle with their mouse![4]
    • Write a little note on the tape that says “April fools!” or “You just got pranked!” for them to find when they flip their mouse over.
5

Leave random sticky note messages.

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  1. Cover their desk with nonsensical notes to get a good laugh. When they aren’t looking, stick a couple of notes to their desk with odd messages and reminders like “4/1 - Meeting at the park” or “Pandas?” Then watch for their confusion when they notice them! This prank is especially great if your coworker already writes everything on sticky notes.
    • Make sure none of the notes actually interfere with other meetings or work duties they have. For example, don’t leave a note about a joke meeting at the same time as a real one.
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6

Move their desk a little every day.

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  1. This prank takes dedication, but the payoff will be worth it. Every day, shift your coworker’s desk to the left or right by 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm). It may take them a little time to notice, but eventually they’ll wonder why their entire workspace is completely off!
    • If you work in cubicles, try moving things on their desk slightly until they realize someone has been messing with their stuff.
7

Fill a donut box with carrots and celery sticks.

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  1. Everyone gets excited about sweet treats like donuts in the office. Just imagine the look on their face when they see the box in the breakroom, only to discover that it’s filled with healthy alternatives![5]
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8

Plug a wireless mouse into their computer.

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  1. This might work best if your coworker uses a traditional wired mouse.
    Jiggle the mouse around every once in a while to make them think their computer is acting up. Then, after a while, open apps or navigate to other web pages while they watch in shock![6]
9

Ask people to call a coworker throughout the day.

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  1. Keep your coworker busy and chatting for the entire day. Get other coworkers involved or ask friends to call your coworker and ask for Jolene. Have people call your colleague’s number about every 30 minutes so they are always on the line. At the end of the day, call your coworker and say, “Hi, this is Jolene. Do you have any calls for me?”[7]
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10

Replace their coffee with a frozen cup.

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  1. Freeze a mug of coffee and switch it out for someone’s fresh cup of joe.
    Buy a mug that looks exactly the same as your coworker’s, fill it with coffee, and put it in the office freezer overnight. When your coworker walks away, switch out their daily cup with the frozen decoy. When they come back, they’ll wonder how it got so cold so fast![8]
11

Put an air freshener under their seat.

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  1. Make a cloud of fresh scent every time your coworker sits down. Duct-tape a can of spray air freshener directly underneath their swivel chair and secure it to the base.[9] When your coworker goes to sit down, it’ll press down on the button and release the fragrance into your office!
    • Instead of an air freshener, you could use an air horn, but this may be too disruptive and get you in trouble.
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12

Leave empty boxes for your coworker.

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  1. Confuse your colleagues with empty boxes from the mail room. Assemble several empty boxes and tape them shut. Then, address them to your favorite coworkers. Leave them in the mail room or put them on their desks. Watch them as they eagerly open the boxes, just to find there’s nothing inside.
    • You can also leave a note inside that says something like “April fools!” or “Got you!”
13

Put fake money on the ground.

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  1. Make your coworkers think they’re lucky with a simple counterfeit. Print a picture of a $100 bill or get a piece of play money, then write “Just kidding!” on the back. Place the fake money where people walk by often, like by the break room or in the stairwell, and watch your coworkers look disappointed when they pick it up![10]
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14

Hide pennies throughout the office.

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  1. Make your coworkers search for pocket change. Hide 100 pennies all over your coworker’s desk or throughout the entire office. Put a note on your coworker’s desk that says you hid $1 worth of pennies that they have to find. Your coworker will stumble upon them all day as they open file cabinets or grab another cup of coffee.
    • For extra chaos, only hide 97 pennies so they’ll forever search for the last 3.
15

Add googly eyes to photos.

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  1. Make pictures of family and friends look goofy with this prank. Take a bag of stick-on googly eyes and paste them on the eyes of all of your coworkers’ friends and family members. You might have to come into the office a little bit early for this one, but the reactions will definitely be worth it.
    • Make sure not to glue the eyes on permanently because you don’t want to actually damage any of the pictures your coworkers have.
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16

Swap pens for crayons and colored pencils.

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  1. Make the day even more colorful with silly writing utensils. Bring packages of crayons and colored pencils to work, then switch them out for everyone’s favorite pens on their desk. Nothing’s getting signed in pen today![11]
    • Make sure to remember whose pens are whose because some people may have bought their own.
17

Flip their computer screen upside-down.

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  1. Use a simple shortcut to flip your coworker’s desktop. Before your coworker comes in for work (or after they step away for lunch), flip their computer’s entire screen to make them wonder what possibly could have gone wrong. Not only is this prank startling, but it can also be easily fixed with a couple of key swipes.[12]
    • Windows: Press Ctrl + Alt + the up arrow or right-click their desktop, go to “Display Settings,” and next to “Display orientation,” choose “Landscape (flipped)” from the drop-down menu.
    • Mac: Go to the Apple Menu > “System Settings,” then click “Displays” in the sidebar. Click the pop-up menu next to “Rotation,” choose 180 degrees, and hit “Confirm.”
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18

Lower their mouse sensitivity settings.

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  1. Make your coworker’s mouse super slow when they move their mouse. While someone’s away from their desk, go into their computer settings and change their mouse speed to the slowest setting. When they come back, it will take them ages to move around the screen and fix it!
    • Windows: Go to Settings > “Bluetooth & Devices” > “Mouse” and move the “Mouse pointer speed” to the slowest it’ll go.[13]
    • Mac: Go to the Apple menu > “System Settings,” then click “Mouse.” Drag the “Tracking speed” slider all the way to the left.[14]
19

Play a fake update animation on their computer.

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  1. Stall your coworker’s day by thinking there’s a tech issue.
    Download a realistic-looking update animation from a site like www.fakeupdate.net and set the browser to full-screen mode to trick your coworkers into thinking their computer is taking a frustratingly long time to update.[15]
    • Alternatively, download the animation onto your computer to make everyone wonder why your computer is endlessly updating.
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20

Change their email signature temporarily.

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  1. Change your coworker’s email signature to something hilarious.
    If you can log on to their computer, alter their signature to give a colleague an extremely long name, like “Her divine and imperial majesty, heir to the kingdoms of elves and men, Camile Johnston”, or a silly job title, like “Head of Vibes” or “Coffee Shortage Scapegoat.”[16]
    • Alternatively, change your own email signature to something funny and wait for someone to notice!
21

Sign coworkers up for goofy newsletters.

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  1. A funny email subscription can add some goofiness to their inbox. Sign them up for an email subscription to Cat Faeries, which sends them cat facts and other kitty-related info, or use their email to sign up for promos from online stores they never shop at.[17]
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22

Replace paper clips with goofy toys.

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  1. Make your coworkers laugh by replacing their office supplies. Buy small toys like a bag of small plastic babies, go around the whole office, and switch out everyone’s cup of paper clips with a cup of babies. This adds an inconvenient but fun prank to spice up your coworkers’ workday.
    • Make sure to keep everyone’s paper clips so you can switch them back or hand them out as needed.
23

Host a fake birthday video call.

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  1. Surprise a coworker with a celebration when it’s not their birthday. If you work remotely, tell your team you’re planning a birthday surprise for a person in the office and ask everyone to wear party hats and set up birthday virtual backgrounds. When that person logs in, sing “Happy Birthday” and keep a straight face when they look confused.
    • Try to do this prank on someone you’re already close to or who you know will laugh along. If you’re not sure if they’d be comfortable with it, try a different prank.
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24

Replace hand sanitizer with clear school glue.

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  1. Create a sticky situation whenever someone tries to sanitize. Dump a bottle of hand sanitizer into another container, rinse the empty bottle, and fill it with clear school glue. Then offer it to your coworkers throughout the day and watch their faces as they wonder why the sanitizer is so sticky!
    • Alternatively, empty a hand sanitizer bottle and fill the cap or pump with super glue. When a coworker goes to grab some, they’ll squeeze and squeeze without anything coming out.[18]
    • Make sure to use school glue that can be easily washed off. Never try to prank someone by tricking them into putting super glue directly onto their skin.
25

Glue a coin to the floor.

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  1. Watch everyone stop and struggle to pick up loose change. Take a quarter and temporarily glue it to the floor in an area where all of your coworkers pass by often, like by the break room or next to the printer. Throughout the day, everyone will desperately try to pick it up without any luck!
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26

Put paper with a scanned image in the copier.

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  1. Drive people crazy trying to find the paper clip appearing on their copies. Place a paperclip in the copy machine, print out 30 pages with the scan, and place them back into the printer tray. When a coworker goes to print something out, there’ll be a mysterious paperclip in the way of their copy, and they’ll spend time looking for how it appeared![19]
27

Put a cardboard cutout at your desk

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  1. Pretend like you’re at work with a cardboard doppelganger.
    Print out large-scale pictures of yourself and glue them on cardboard to create a standee, or order a custom cutout online. You can either put it on your desk at the end of the day to make it look like you’re staying late or place it right before you take some well-deserved PTO.
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28

Tape a “Honk and wave!” sign on their car.

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  1. Make your coworker have a noisy ride home with this simple prank. At the end of work, sneak out and tape this sign to the back of your favorite coworker’s vehicle. When they start driving home, they’ll wonder why everyone is beeping their horn and pulling up to wave at them![20]
29

Switch stuff between 2 coworkers’ desks.

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  1. Swap items between a few coworkers to throw them off. If you can’t move their actual desks, switch out their computer, phone, knick-knacks, and other supplies with another coworker’s stuff. Then, sit back and wait for both of their reactions!
    • After having a laugh, make sure to help move their stuff back to where it belongs afterward.
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30

Give your coworker an envelope with glitter.

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  1. Make a sparkly mess on their desk with this harmless prank. Get a bag of colorful glitter, dump it inside an envelope addressed to your coworker, seal it, and leave it on their desk. When they open it, glitter will flutter everywhere, creating a beautiful, chaotic mess.[21]
    • After they open it, stick around to help them vacuum up the spilled glitter.
31

Tape confetti over their door.

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  1. Shower your coworker in confetti as soon as they get into the office. Before one of your coworkers comes in for work, tape a sheet of newspaper from the top of the door to the wall above the doorframe. Then, pile paper confetti on top of the newspaper. When the person opens their office door and rips the newspaper, the confetti will fall down all over them![22]
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32

Cover their desk with cute animal pictures.

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  1. Put pictures of puppies or kittens all over someone’s desk or cubicle. Print out hundreds of pictures of your coworker’s favorite animal, then tape them everywhere—from the surface of their desk to the keys on their keyboard. Not only is it horrifyingly tacky, but everything can be taken down easily after your coworker gets a good laugh.[23]
33

Put your coworker’s stapler in Jell-O.

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  1. Try this classic prank for anyone who’s a fan of The Office. Take your coworker back to the pilot episode by making a bowl of Jell-O and putting their stapler inside before it hardens.[24] Put the Jell-O mold on their desk and laugh with them when they realize the reference.
    • At the end of the pilot, one of the characters puts the boss’s mug inside the Jell-O. If your coworker doesn’t have a stapler, try using their favorite coffee mug instead!
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34

Rearrange their keyboard keys to spell a message.

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  1. Leave your coworker a silly message when they try typing. Use a flathead screwdriver or a pair of tweezers to pop off the keys on your coworker’s keyboard and rearrange them to create a custom message just for them. You could write an inside joke or something simple like “Pranked!”[25]
    • Make sure to help them put the keys back in order after the two of you laugh it off.
    • Your coworker’s keyboard will still work properly, but they may have trouble typing something if they don’t know where the letters originally are on the keyboard.
35

String yarn across their cubicle.

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  1. Create a field of “lasers” that your coworker has to navigate through. Gather a bolt or two of colorful yarn and tape one end to a wall of their cubicle or office. Then, string the rest from wall to wall, creating a seemingly inescapable maze that’ll confuse your coworker when they come in to work.
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36

Turn their cubicle into a fake crime scene.

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  1. Stage a fake crime scene for your coworker to walk into. Have another one of your coworkers lie on the floor in the middle of their cubicle and outline them with masking tape. Then, attach crime scene tape outside the front of their cubicle. When the cubicle’s owner comes in, they can try to figure out whodunit.
37

Wrap their desk in wrapping paper or plastic wrap.

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  1. Have your coworker unwrap their desk before they can use it.
    Cover a coworker’s computer, knick-knacks, pencils, phone, and desk with plastic wrap, wrapping paper, aluminum foil, or sticky notes. Your coworker can easily laugh it off, and they’ll only spend a few minutes unwrapping what they need.[26]
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38

Fill a cupboard in the break room with ping pong balls.

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  1. Surprise a coworker with a small mess when they open the door. Choose a cupboard that people access a lot, like the snack cabinet. Then, fill it with a large bag of ping pong balls and wait for your coworkers’ reaction when they open it, hoping to grab a bag of chips.
    • Alternatively, replace all the files in a filing cabinet with ping pong balls. Just make sure to keep all the files in order so the filing system won’t get disorganized!
39

Fill the conference room with balloons or beach balls.

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  1. Make any meeting a party by pulling this prank.
    Blow up some plastic beach balls or balloons, toss them into the conference room, and shut the door. When someone goes in for a meeting, they’ll be surprised to find the whole room is full!
    • Alternatively, fill someone’s cubicle with balloons and use plastic wrap to seal them all in.
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40

Replace someone’s things with cardboard replicas.

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  1. Shock your coworker with a completely cardboard workstation. If you have some time on your hands, grab a couple of cardboard boxes, cut them up, and shape them to match items on your coworker’s desk. Then, switch all the items out with their cardboard clones and laugh along with them when they discover what you’ve done![27]
    • Try to work on this prank outside of the office so no one will think you’re taking time out of your workday.

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Warnings

  • Avoid pranking the same person over and over again because they might feel singled out or harassed.[30]
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  • Avoid giving someone bad news as a prank because this can be scary, and the person may not find it funny.[31]
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g31101964/office-april-fools-pranks/
  2. ↑ https://bestlifeonline.com/harmless-april-fools-pranks/
  3. ↑ https://parade.com/984978/kelseypelzer/april-fools-pranks/
  4. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g31101964/office-april-fools-pranks/
  5. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g31101964/office-april-fools-pranks/
  6. ↑ https://mashable.com/article/easy-office-pranks-april-fools
  7. ↑ https://bestlifeonline.com/harmless-april-fools-pranks/
  8. ↑ https://mashable.com/article/safe-office-pranks-april-fools
  9. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g31101964/office-april-fools-pranks/
  1. ↑ https://parade.com/984978/kelseypelzer/april-fools-pranks/
  2. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g31101964/office-april-fools-pranks/
  3. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g31101964/office-april-fools-pranks/
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/make-your-mouse-keyboard-and-other-input-devices-easier-to-use-10733da7-fa82-88be-0672-f123d4b3dcfe
  5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-your-mouse-or-trackpads-response-speed-mchlp1138/mac
  6. ↑ https://www.thehrdigest.com/just-for-laughs-office-prank-ideas/
  7. ↑ https://bestlifeonline.com/harmless-april-fools-pranks/
  8. ↑ https://bestlifeonline.com/harmless-april-fools-pranks/
  9. ↑ https://www.lovetoknow.com/parenting/teens/harmless-funny-pranks-do-friends-adults
  10. ↑ https://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/5-fun-office-pranks-that-wont-sabotage-your-job.html
  11. ↑ https://parade.com/984978/kelseypelzer/april-fools-pranks/
  12. ↑ https://bestlifeonline.com/harmless-april-fools-pranks/
  13. ↑ https://www.lovetoknow.com/parenting/teens/harmless-funny-pranks-do-friends-adults
  14. ↑ https://mashable.com/article/easy-office-pranks-april-fools
  15. ↑ https://screenrant.com/the-office-best-pranks-ranked/
  16. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g31101964/office-april-fools-pranks/
  17. ↑ https://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/5-fun-office-pranks-that-wont-sabotage-your-job.html
  18. ↑ https://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/5-fun-office-pranks-that-wont-sabotage-your-job.html
  19. ↑ Christine Ferrera. Etiquette Coach. Expert Interview
  20. ↑ https://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/5-fun-office-pranks-that-wont-sabotage-your-job.html
  21. ↑ https://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/5-fun-office-pranks-that-wont-sabotage-your-job.html
  22. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniesarkis/2019/10/31/when-is-an-office-prank-considered-harassment/?sh=3ba181eaf811

About This Article

Christine Ferrera
Co-authored by:
Christine Ferrera
Etiquette Coach
This article was co-authored by Christine Ferrera and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Christine Ferrera is an etiquette coach based in Fontana, California. With over 12 years of experience, she is the founder of Polished Message Etiquette (PME), a modern training platform focused on Communication, Image & Style, and Comprehensive Etiquette. Christine works with professionals, college students, youth leaders, and community organizations to teach real-world etiquette and professional presence. She offers coaching through formal presentations, interactive workshops, and one-on-one sessions, both in person and virtually. Her speaking engagements include California State University, Fullerton, as well as community collaborations with the Miss Fontana Pageant & Leadership Program, Girl Scouts of America, and Redlands Kids' Connection. This article has been viewed 25,013 times.
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