Friday office humor: Olympics at work

The games have begun and chances are that one in ten employees will be watching some part of the 2008 Olympics at the office, according to a recent survey. Just like during March Madness, some employers are worried that employees will be watching more than working.

While those employers stress out over lost productivity and overloaded networks, others will embrace the games. With events like cubicle hurdles and the trash can long jump, people are finding ways to not just watch the Olympics at work, but participate in them as well.

Anyone who is familiar with “The Office” would probably smile when you mention “Office Olympics.” In one of the most memorable episodes from the second season, the boss is out and the Dunder Mifflin employees hold Olympic-style office competitions.

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, Lauren Kleinman at Jobacle wrote up instructions on how to hold your own Office Olympics, by simply following these four steps:

1. Promote it. No one will participate if they know it doesn’t exist. (With the big guys’ permission, of course) Hang fliers, send emails and wake up all the people sleeping on their desks and get them involved in the events.


2. Make it authentic. Make your events as much like the real Olympics as possible. Create fake torches, posters with the Olympic rings and download the official Olympic soundtrack.


3. Set up events. Office Olympic events can be completely set up with everyday objects in the office, take a look at some ideas from the Official Office Olympics site for “instructional” videos on events like the Office Chair Swamp, Chair Hop Do and Chariot Races.


4. Reward the winners. No Olympic event is complete without a medal ceremony. Create gold, silver and bronze medal equivalents with everyday items around the office. On “The Office,” Pam saved yogurt lids for the medals, attaching them to paperclip necklaces to get the full effect.

Let the games begin!