Being the “Funny One” at Work Comes with Two Main RisksI saw this headline and thought they were talking directly to me . The website “The Conversation” has an article called, “Why You Seriously Need to STOP Trying to Be Funny at Work.” They say it can backfire, and comes with two big risks. They claim there are two main things that makes a GOOD workplace joke work: It should be unexpected, or seem like it “breaks the rules” in some way. even if they’re funny . In general, the risks of being funny at work tend to outweigh the benefits.