When you joke around friends and say something that is too much, they might get offended, but if you are truly good friends, you can work it out. But everything you say at work can be used against you, even if you consider your colleagues friends.
This person thought that joking about their amputated leg during lunch with their colleagues that they had a good relationship with would make them laugh, but they actually got reported and then terminated for inappropriate behavior.
More info: Reddit
Laughter usually breaks the tension, but not in this person’s case, as they actually got fired
Image credits: Jack Sparrow (not the actual image)
They wanted to support their coworker struggling with weight and snapped off their fake leg to show how easy it is for them to lose 10 pounds
Image credits: SHVETS production (not the actual image)
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION (not the actual image)
Image credits: [deleted]
But the joke didn’t land and soon after, they got a call about being terminated for “inappropriate behavior”
The Original Poster (OP) thought that their colleagues were their friends as they would go out for lunch every Sunday when their work week ended. The last time they met, one of the women there opened up about dieting and struggling with weight loss.
As a friend, the OP wanted to cheer up the woman and joked about being able to lose 10 pounds in an instant, and then removed their prosthetic leg to prove their point. It’s not clear how the woman reacted immediately, but she reported it, so the amputee no longer has a job.
It wasn’t the first time the Redditor has used this kind of humor and they know that they push boundaries with it, but this time, they guess they went too far, although most of the commenters disagreed and found the joke hilarious.
Readers were also bothered that it happened outside of working hours and the OP still got fired for it, so they suggested suing, but the former employee explained that the word spreads fast and it can prevent them from getting a new job, so they are not planning on it.
Image credits: ANTONI SHKRABA production (not the actual image)
Another thing that redditors pointed out was that the OP wasn’t making fun of others, but themselves instead, so they were confused about what was inappropriate about it. They actually applauded the OP for being able to laugh about their disability.
According to Nicolas Steenhout who is a consultant about inclusion, accessibility and disability, people with disabilities often make themselves the subject of their jokes and the people “who take offense are often people who don’t have a disability.”
He doesn’t have an explanation why, but it’s clear that they “are just uncomfortable with this kind of humor. And maybe that discomfort is a reflection of their general discomfort with people with disabilities at large.”
Also, humor and comedy are known to be used as a coping mechanism to overcome trauma. Expert in human behavior Claire Brummell says that “The first need we are trying to meet with dark humor is our need to experience and express the full spectrum of emotion. <…> …dark humor can be a way of trying to welcome in other emotions, like amusement or some sort of cheer, so we are no longer only battling with the more challenging emotions.”
Not only that, but Harvard Business Review found that “One good laugh—or better still, a workplace culture that encourages levity—facilitates interpersonal communication and builds social cohesion.”
At the same time, if the joke was not funny or even offensive, it can harm professional relationships and harm someone’s image. They mention that in some cases, inappropriate jokes can cause people to lose their jobs.
Do you think the OP’s joke was so inappropriate that firing them was justified? Do you think they invalidated the coworker’s struggle by making the joke or do you think it was supportive as it was intended? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Redditors, on the other hand, found the person’s humor funny and were confused as to how they could be fired for mocking themselves outside work
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