We are often expected to act very serious and earnest at work. This earnestness is meant to reflect our loyalty to the company and its core values. That said, it can be very hard to feel part of the ‘company family’ when management do not appear to walk their own talk! It is however possible to be committed to doing a good job, while at the same time cheering ourselves up with a little healthy, cheeky fun!

Surveys measuring employee engagement have become increasingly common. Most major corporations now regularly survey their workforces. There is no doubt that their surveys can yield useful information about employee attitudes and behavior. In many cases, however, the data are misinterpreted, misunderstood, and result in wasted time and money.

Research suggests that people, across all the generations, can value having fun at work (i.e. Hemsath & Sivasubramaniam, 2001; Owler & Morrison, 2012; Yerkes, 2007). This article surveys what is known in general about baby-boomers, X-gens and Y-gens (or millennials) and draws some conclusions about how each generation views fun at work.

Do you want meaningful work? Do you want to provide meaningful work in your workplace? Associate Professor Marjolien Lips-Wiersma has conducted extensive research on what makes work meaningful.