Practical jokes for work are the perfect way to bring humor, laughter, and a little harmless chaos into the office. Whether it’s a quick sticky note trick, a clever desk surprise, or a last-minute prank, these ideas will have your coworkers laughing and talking about your creativity. From easy one-liners to epic setups, there’s something for every level of mischief.
Even the most serious offices can benefit from practical jokes for work. Not only do they break the monotony, but they also build camaraderie, boost morale, and create memorable moments. Get ready to scroll, laugh, and plan your next harmless prank with these fun and brilliant ideas!
Funny Easy Pranks At Work 😆
I put a sticky note on your back… it says “awesome coworker.”
Switched all your desktop icons… welcome to chaos.
Your chair squeaks… just like your laugh.
Keyboard confetti incoming!
I emailed you… from the office plant.
Mouse works only if you dance.
Your coffee mug is now a measuring cup.
I rearranged all your pens by color… obsessively.
Elevator buttons swapped with random letters.
Incoming memo: you’re too funny, HR says so.
Practical Jokes For Work Reddit 💻
Replacing sugar with salt in the breakroom… harmless fun.
Desktop wallpaper = tiny version of themselves.
Auto-correct prank in their Word doc.
Tape over the bottom of the mouse sensor.
Voice-activated stapler… just kidding.
Fake meeting invite titled “mandatory fun.”
Swap “Reply All” with “Reply You.”
Send mysterious sticky notes with cryptic instructions.
Keyboard keys rearranged… time to hunt for letters.
Change their screensaver to a random cat meme.
Funny Practical Jokes For Work 😂
Water cup upside down on their desk.
Tape over the office phone speaker.
Send a fake email from “The Boss.”
Balloon avalanche when they open the door.
Desk drawer filled with post-it notes.
Keyboard keys swapped with letters from another language.
Replace hand sanitizer with lotion.
Tiny rubber spiders in their desk.
Fake parking ticket on their car.
Sticky note “bomb” explosion on their monitor.
40 Hilarious Office Pranks 🏢
Turn their desk upside down… not literally.
Office chair wrapped in cling film.
Keyboard frozen with clear tape.
Replace sugar with salt in the coffee room.
Set all their alarms 5 minutes early.
Fake office memo: “Dress like your favorite superhero.”
Hidden air horn under chair.
Swap their pens with crayons.
Create a fake IT alert.
Balloon “carpet” in their workspace.
Sticky note avalanche.
Computer mouse in jello.
Office plant wrapped in toilet paper.
Rearrange all their files alphabetically… backwards.
Fake voicemail from HR.
Tape coins to the floor near them.
Fake spider in their coffee cup.
Office whiteboard filled with fake deadlines.
Keyboard upside down.
Change their mouse speed to snail mode.
“Out of order” sign on their desk drawer.
Swap stapler with a toy version.
Office fridge labeled with “danger: unknown.”
Fake parking violation sticker.
Replace chair with a yoga ball.
Tape over sensors on doors.
Desktop icons rearranged into a smiley face.
Hide all their office supplies in one drawer.
Fake error message printed out.
Send a fake newsletter about a “mandatory dance-off.”
Keyboard keys swapped for symbols.
Office clock runs backward.
Put googly eyes on all objects.
Replace sugar with salt… again.
Fill drawer with ping pong balls.
Tape their phone upside down.
Wrap desk in aluminum foil.
Office chair filled with balloons.
Tape the bottom of their shoes.
Set up a fake Zoom call notification.
Last Minute Office Pranks ⏱️
Tape over the mouse sensor.
Change desktop wallpaper to a silly meme.
Put tape under their chair legs.
Swap pens with crayons.
Send a fake “meeting moved” email.
Stick post-it notes on their computer screen.
Short “out of order” sign on office printer.
Hide office supplies in a drawer.
Keyboard key rearrangement.
Place a fake spider somewhere obvious.
Harmless Pranks For Coworkers 😇
Sticky note messages all over their desk.
Small paper clip chain on their drawer handle.
Put googly eyes on everything on their desk.
Tape their stapler to the desk.
Rearrange sticky notes to make a funny message.
Office plant wrapped in a bow.
Change their screensaver to something cute.
Place a harmless “booby trap” of balloons.
Leave a funny note in their drawer.
Replace pens with candy sticks.
Funny Easy Pranks At Work Reddit 🐱💻
Replacing their keyboard with a mini toy keyboard.
Change their desktop icons to random emojis.
Mute their computer sounds and watch them wonder.
Tape a sign: “Do not open, cursed object.”
Add a fake sticky note warning: “Office haunted.”
Keyboard confetti surprise.
Send a mysterious “from HR” message.
Replace coffee with decaf.
Change their mouse pointer to a dancing icon.
Put a funny photo in their monitor background.
Brilliant Office Pranks 💡
Wrap their desk in plastic wrap overnight.
Replace all office photos with funny celebrity faces.
Tape coins to the floor near their desk.
Keyboard frozen in jello.
Fake memo about “mandatory fun day.”
Office chair replaced with a yoga ball.
Computer wallpaper with endless memes.
Place a fake spider in the breakroom.
Swap office supplies with toy versions.
Hide all items in one drawer… labeled “Do not open.”
Print and Panic Pranks
Change their default printer to one across the building.
Replace printouts with “You’ve been hacked by IT.”
Print an official-looking notice: “Color ink banned to save the whales.”
Send random spreadsheets with nothing but cat names.
Set their print jobs to delay by 3 minutes — suspense!
Print a daily “Fortune Cookie Office Wisdom” slip.
Replace the paper tray with colored paper — mystery reports!
Swap their print setting to “mirror image.”
Print a life-sized image of their face and tape it to the copier.
Fill the paper tray with ancient memes.
Mouse Mayhem
Place a tiny Post-it note over the bottom sensor.
Invert the mouse scroll settings.
Plug in a second hidden mouse and control it remotely.
Replace their mousepad with one that says “404: Surface Not Found.”
Move their mouse slightly throughout the day.
Tape a googly eye to the sensor — total confusion.
Use duct tape to make their mouse heavier.
Swap left- and right-click settings.
Replace their mouse with an identical-looking prop.
Put jelly under the mouse — mystery slime.
Keyboard Confusion
Rearrange the keys to spell “I QUIT.”
Auto-replace common words (e.g., “yes” becomes “YAAAS”).
Insert canned responses in autocorrect — chaos in every email.
Change keyboard language to French.
Tape a message under the keyboard: “You type beautifully.”
Put their keyboard in Jell-O (a classic).
Replace their keyboard with a fake one and hide the real one.
Loosely tape a spring under one key — the pop-up key prank.
Use an air duster to mimic the sound of typing.
Stick googly eyes under each keycap.
Desktop Shenanigans
Screenshot their desktop and set it as wallpaper. Then hide icons.
Flip the screen orientation (Ctrl + Alt + Arrow key).
Set the desktop background to a cracked screen image.
Use a celebrity photo as their profile pic.
Replace their desktop icons with pictures of sandwiches.
Make their cursor a glittering unicorn.
Set the screensaver to “I’m Watching You.”
Fill the desktop with identical folders labeled “DO NOT OPEN.”
Rename their Recycle Bin “Documents.”
Change the mouse cursor to a potato.
Stationery Sabotage
Tape their pens to the desk.
Fill their drawer with rubber ducks.
Swap all black pens with red ones — corporate chaos.
Glue caps shut on markers.
Replace their stapler with one that’s out of staples forever.
Move all paper clips one inch to the left.
Replace tape with clear plastic wrap.
Put googly eyes on everything.
Tape a “Voice Activated” sign on the shredder.
Fill the hole punch tray with glitter.
Chair Traps
Lower their chair every time they get up.
Wrap the chair in cling film.
Replace the chair with a yoga ball.
Tape a whoopee cushion under the seat.
Put a sign on the back: “FREE HUGS.”
Switch the chair with a child-sized one.
Cover the chair with Post-it notes.
Attach bells under the seat.
Swap wheels with square ones (just joking — or are we?).
Tape a photo of Nicolas Cage to the bottom.
Phone & Call Center Chaos
Flip the phone upside down.
Record a fake voicemail greeting: “Hi, you’ve reached Pizza Hut…”
Set ringtone to something ridiculous — like goats screaming.
Add a speed dial to Rick Astley.
Tape over the speaker with bubble wrap.
Change the voicemail language to Klingon.
Unplug the phone slightly — cue confusion.
Put a rubber band around the receiver.
Leave anonymous Post-its saying “He knows.”
Program “Meow” as their caller ID.
Cubicle Craziness
Fill their cubicle with balloons.
Cover everything in aluminum foil.
Wrap the whole desk in gift wrap.
Set up a fake “invisible wall” with clear plastic wrap.
Replace their photos with pictures of llamas.
Build a “shrine” to their favorite snack.
Fill their drawer with fake spiders.
Replace all their framed photos with Nicolas Cage.
Cover their chair in sticky notes.
Put fake crime scene tape around their cubicle.
Food & Drink Tricks
Replace their water with gelatin.
Put googly eyes on everything in the fridge.
Switch the coffee with decaf.
Replace their lunch with a note that says “STOLEN.”
Add a raisin in their drink — call it “boba.”
Hide a doughnut in the paper tray.
Wrap their sandwich in 5 layers of boxes.
Label everything in the fridge with someone else’s name.
Put a note in the coffee pot: “Do not trust her.”
Fill their mug with fake bugs.
Calendar Mayhem
Schedule fake meetings at 4AM (and cancel them).
Add a recurring event: “Stare at the wall.”
Rename all meetings to “Mandatory Fun.”
Set a reminder: “Tell Janet she’s glowing.”
Add holidays like “Taco Hat Tuesday.”
Replace team meeting titles with movie names.
Send them invites from their “alternate self.”
Set a calendar alert: “The squirrels are watching.”
Change meeting locations to absurd places (e.g., “Under your desk”).
Invite them to “the void.” Accept it yourself.
Email & Message Mischief
Set their email signature to “Head of Sandwich Operations.”
Auto-replace “Regards” with “Rawr 🐯.”
Mark every message they send as “High Priority.”
Send a calendar invite titled “Time to Blink.”
Add yourself to their email drafts list. Just to watch.
Add quotes like “Always Watching – IT Dept.” in their signature.
Change email font to Comic Sans — boss mode.
Create a filter to move all emails from “Steve” into Spam.
Send them “urgent” tasks from a fake manager.
Set up fake out-of-office replies with pirate speak.
Bathroom & Breakroom Bits
Label the hand dryer “Voice Activated.”
Put googly eyes on all the soap dispensers.
Replace the air freshener with popcorn-scented spray.
Tape “Occupied” signs on every stall — all day.
Hide a speaker in the stall playing elevator music.
Leave fake footprints facing the toilet — and nowhere else.
Put “Singing Toilets Under Repair” signs on the door.
Put fake bugs in the soap tray.
Add labels to coffee pods: “May cause time travel.”
Tape “Decaf Only Today” to the coffee machine. Panic.
Audio Ambushes
Plug a Bluetooth speaker into their computer. Play random sounds.
Change their volume settings to max — only for error beeps.
Replace notification sounds with goat bleats.
Change Spotify playlist names to weird confessions.
Turn the volume up gradually every 10 minutes.
Add “The Office Theme Song” to their wake-up alarm.
Replace keyboard sounds with “moo.”
Turn off sound drivers, then pretend to troubleshoot.
Add a mic filter that makes their voice sound helium-infused.
Rename their headphones: “The CIA Is Listening.”
Package Puzzles
Send them a “mystery box” with a single rubber band.
Fill a box with packing peanuts and one grape.
Wrap a fake Amazon package that says “Exploding Whistle Collection.”
Leave a package labeled “LIVE TARANTULAS – DO NOT SHAKE.”
Deliver a box of bubble wrap — just bubble wrap.
Leave a huge box on their desk labeled “Mini USB.”
Fill a box with confetti and say “It’s your promotion!”
Pack a box with air and a Post-it that reads “Just in case.”
Wrap their office supplies like presents. All of them.
Leave a note: “You missed your delivery from Hogwarts.”
Mind Games
Write “Don’t trust the printer” on a sticky note. Don’t explain.
Walk past them every hour and say, “Still no sign.”
Send emails with cryptic subject lines like “The prophecy begins.”
Leave anonymous motivational quotes on their desk daily.
Switch their chair with an identical one — slightly shorter.
Play white noise from a hidden speaker. Deny it.
Post signs in the kitchen: “Microwave privileges revoked.”
Move their stapler 1 inch daily.
Write “You’ve changed” on their whiteboard.
Compliment them on something they didn’t do.
Tech Tricks
Plug in a second wireless keyboard.
Rename their Wi-Fi to “FBI Surveillance Van.”
Replace their desktop wallpaper with a still from The Office.
Replace autocorrect entries with Shakespeare quotes.
Install Clippy as a Chrome extension.
Add a fake USB rubber duck.
Add autocorrect so “meeting” = “meating.”
Swap their monitor input to a different source.
Place a “Voice Control Activated” label on their monitor.
Put a message on their lock screen: “You are being watched. 🕵️♂️”
Manager-Targeted Mischief (Be Brave!)
Rename their desktop files “Absolutely Not Important.”
Add “CEO of Bananas” to their email signature.
Set their away message to “Plotting world domination.”
Replace their framed certificates with joke awards.
Cover their mouse with a sticky note that says “Think faster.”
Hide their chair. Leave a note: “Chair took a personal day.”
Fill their office with stress balls.
Add “Meeting with Clippy” to their calendar.
Tape up a sign: “Do Not Disturb: Napping.”
Change their ringtone to elevator music.
Plant & Décor Gags
Replace their plant with a plastic version. See if they notice.
Label their plant “Intern in disguise.”
Add googly eyes to every desk item.
Create a mini jungle on their desk.
Tape plastic bugs under plant leaves.
Add glitter to the soil — sparkly growth!
Replace potting soil with coffee grounds.
Create a fake bonsai with twigs and dental floss.
Replace desk lamp bulb with colored one.
Put a note in their plant: “You’ve been chosen.”
Meetings Made Maddening
Schedule a “walking meeting.” Around the same table.
Bring a kazoo and act like it’s normal.
Speak only in corporate buzzwords.
Set your Zoom background to a tropical island.
Fake a frozen Zoom screen.
Rename yourself “Guest_42” on Zoom.
Only respond with “Can you repeat the question?”
Make Bingo cards out of office clichés.
Wear sunglasses and say you’re “deep in thought.”
Set every meeting reminder to “Prepare for battle.”
Holiday-Themed Office Pranks
Cover desk with fake cobwebs in July.
Create a fake “Secret Santa” list in April.
Replace candy canes with hot dogs.
Fill Easter eggs with office supplies.
Add a tiny tree to every cubicle — year-round.
Put a stocking on their chair in August.
Create Valentine’s cards from “The Printer.”
Hand out fake coupons from “HR Claus.”
Hang mistletoe above the coffee maker.
Leave fake carved pumpkins that spell “You’re Fired.” (Kidding!)
FAQs
Are these practical jokes office-safe?
Yes! All jokes are clean, harmless, and designed for light-hearted fun — not HR reports.
How do I avoid going too far with a prank?
Know your audience! Avoid pranks involving food allergies, personal items, or anything that creates a real mess.
Can I prank my boss?
Yes — if your boss has a sense of humor. Start small and gauge the reaction.
What’s a good prank for remote coworkers?
Try Zoom backgrounds, mysterious calendar invites, or fake Slack bots.
What should I never prank with?
Don’t mess with security systems, passwords, or anything tied to compliance/legal.
How do I clean up after a prank?
Always be responsible. If it involves props or paper, make sure to clean up — or get help from the prankee!
How often can I prank without being annoying?
Keep it occasional. Pranks should be a treat — not a threat!
Can pranks help team bonding?
Absolutely! Shared laughter boosts morale, builds trust, and makes work more fun.
What if someone doesn’t react well?
Apologize sincerely and learn from it. Respect everyone’s comfort zone.
Where can I get more ideas like this?
Visit PunsPlanet.com for hilarious collections, punny office humor, and more prank-perfect inspiration!
Conclusion
Pranks don’t need to be mean or messy — just clever, surprising, and mildly chaotic. A great workplace prank builds camaraderie, lifts morale, and leaves behind a trail of confused laughter and maybe… a glitter-covered stapler.
So prank responsibly. Keep it clean, safe, and HR-approved — or at least HR-confused.
👉 Want more clever comedy and prankspiration? Bookmark PunsPlanet.com and bring joy (or minor inconvenience) to your coworkers, one click at a time!
