Expert-Speak: Forced Fun Is No Laughing Matter

Billionaires Current Affairs Under 30 Cover Story Focus Lists Published Sep 6, 2026, 11:18am GMT+2 "Our workplaces brim with senseless shenanigans, countless charades and confusing contradictions." (Getty Imagges) While there is no shortage of strange, weird, senseless or illogical goings-on in most offices, the rise of 'forced fun' is among the most absurd of workplace absurdities. Our workplaces brim with senseless shenanigans, countless charades and confusing contradictions. Workers smile even if they are unhappy. They use buzzwords that make them sound like they are speaking another language. They say 'yes' when they really want to say 'no'. And then there's forced fun. That's the kind of fun you are required to enjoy, whether you like it or not. Somewhere, at some point in time, someone came up with the idea that workplaces should make the leap from somber, studious and stuffy settings to places of joy, laughter and–yes–fun. There is nothing quite like an egg-and-spoon race, a game of two truths and a lie, a trust fall or a round of 'warm fuzzies'. They are all terrific fun–if you are eight years old. But if you are an adult worker forced to participate in the latest team-building initiative, office party game or group juice cleanse with your colleagues, then these activities will probably leave you marinating in misery. We have all experienced mandated office fun. It starts with an upbeat email inviting the entire team to join in a 'fun' activity that has been designed to boost morale, bolster teamwork and bond colleagues. Sometimes the 'fun' is not quite so organized. Loosely arranged, mandatory fun might include anything from a Friday afternoon happy hour in the staff room to drinks at the local watering hole or a company picnic. The problem is that a single email from the boss inviting you to join your colleagues for a 'bit of fun' will most likely have you wanting to slip quietly out of the nearest emergency exit. Office fun often masquerades as optional, though the truth is that when you are invited to attend an interlude of manufactured fun, you are in effect being told to attend or risk accusations of 'not being a team player'. A bit of amusement during the workday sounds like a welcome respite from the more banal facets of everyday office life. Besides, there is little doubt happy employees tend to be more productive than dissatisfied ones. Yet sponsored fun often backfires so badly? The fact is that many simply do not want to be forced into having fun or making friends. They come to work to work and prefer to keep the boundaries between their work and non-work lives separate. No amount of greasy pizza, stale cupcakes or cheap wine can compensate for having to engage in guarded chit-chat with the office gossip, chew the fat with the ill-mannered receptionist or chatter with a spaced-out supervisor. This is especially the case when employees have busy jobs or sit within stressful, dysfunctional workplaces where team building is typically touted as the go-to solution for creating a more productive operational culture. Some workers also feel that sessions of regulated joy during working hours are a distraction from getting their jobs done. Even when those same activities are held outside office hours, forced fun can make some feel they are being robbed of time with family, friends and personal pursuits. Let us also not forget that forced fun often assumes managers know exactly what employees will find pleasurable–and that is rarely the case. People cannot be made to have fun–it must come naturally. Forced fun can actually drive employees away from the office, not bolt them to the workplace. When workplaces are more relaxed and provide some latitude for playfulness to blossom naturally, the benefits of free-range bonding far outweigh any that might arise from the contrived kind. While the odd staff lunch or happy hour might serve a particular purpose, such as thanking team members for their efforts, those in charge should always work to identify the types of fun workers actually like.