A researcher has discovered that positive humour in the workplace can lead to greater job satisfaction.
Psychologist Maren Rawlings from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne surveyed 300 workers from 20 different countries about their use of humour and how they perceived the humour used by their colleagues.
Ms Rawlings says she found a direct correlation between the climate of good humour in a workplace and employee satisfaction.
"If there is a lot of good humour that is shared and supports others...then people are generally well satisfied with what they are doing," she said.
Ms Rawlings says previous research has linked job satisfaction with productivity and her findings contradict the misconception that people who enjoy themselves in the workplace are not as productive.
She says it is important for employers to recognise the role humour plays in keeping workers satisfied.
"If employers take measures to encourage a positive humour climate in the workplace, they are more likely to retain their staff," she said.
"And with an ageing workforce it is vital for companies to keep good people."
Ms Rawlings will present her findings at the Australian Psychological Society's annual conference in Hobart later this month.
See http://www.abc.net.au
