Is there laughter in your hostel's work culture?

Do you love going to work? Does your team love to be there too? Do you laugh together?

This article suggests that in the working world our sense of humor takes a nose dive, and that it is affecting our work environments and job satisfaction.

How Likable Is Your Company? Pretty Likable if You Experience This 1 Emotion Daily (HR Won't Like It)

Humor, it has been found, works as a powerful strategy for increasing employee retention, reducing workplace stress, and improving problem solving with innovative solutions.

Bagdonas calls humor "an underleveraged superpower in business." And the reason it works so effective is because the very act of laughing sparks the release of oxytocin, that feel-good hormone that enables social bonding, improves relationships, and increases trust.

She says, "I noticed that something powerful happens when groups laugh together at work. Façades drop, conversations deepen, and trust forms more quickly and meaningfully."

While it may seem obvious that people want a fun work environment, is laughing the key to job satisfaction and staff retention?

Is there a type of humor that is acceptable or not acceptable in hostels? Our guests tend to be pretty open and thick skinned, but at the same time we don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. For example, I have specifically told my team "That's what she said" jokes aren't appropriate, even though many of my guests might find them hilarious. We just need to use humor that is more inclusive. Is that too restrictive, or is that simply professional behavior within a relaxed environment?

If you or your team feel like you get into a routine and don't laugh enough, what are some things that you could do to lighten the mood?

• Put on some fun music?
• Watch (or make!) silly video clips?
• Share a joke of the day?

Every hostel is different, so what works in one place may not be appropriate in another. What could YOU do in YOUR hostel to bring more laughter into the workplace?