This is how far you can go with an April Fool's prank at work before ending up in legal trouble

April Fool's Day can spark some of the best creativity from your friends and colleagues, but pranks in the workplace could land you in hot water according to law firm DAS Law.
Workplace pranks could land you in legal trouble even on April Fool's Day (Photo: Shutterstock)Workplace pranks could land you in legal trouble even on April Fool's Day (Photo: Shutterstock)
Workplace pranks could land you in legal trouble even on April Fool's Day (Photo: Shutterstock)

Despite everyone's love of a good prank, at work the normal rules of behaviour still apply on 1 April.

Pranks could drop you in court

Practical jokes - such as moving a chair from underneath someone or dropping a bucket of water on the head of a colleague - may be amusing for some, but can cause issues at work.

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Most likely they will breach health and safety or dignity at work policies which could lead to a court case or the police getting involved if it all goes wrong.

For example, if you prank someone by pretending there is a bomb in your office and someone calls the police, you could end up arrested for wasting police time.

Workplace harassment

If you have a favourite colleague to prank, April Fool's Day could see your pranks leading to an unsafe work environment.

All employers have a duty of care to their employees and pranks and practical jokes could be seen as encouraging an unsafe or discriminatory work environment.

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This is especially the case if employees pick on someone based on their sex, race, disability, sexuality, gender reassignment or age.

Can pranks be banned at work?

Legal experts say that pranks have no place in the work place and advise employees and employers not to take part in April Fool's Day.

Even though it can lower morale, it does stop any chances of potential legal action against you or your employer.