The Kitten In The Ceiling
Associate Evan Gibbs is published in Above the Law for his biweekly column, “The Kitten In The Ceiling.” Gibbs examines office pranks from an employment law perspective, sharing a story of a prank taken too far and noting potential outcomes. He writes, “First (and most obviously I hope), the prankster can get fired. Even for something good-spirited or light-hearted. There’s no law I’m aware of that protects pranksters from termination. Second (and maybe less obvious), repeated pranking could create liability for the company (aside from the destruction of company property involved).” He concludes, writing, “Look, office pranks can be completely innocuous and result in a good laugh. But always be mindful of the bigger picture and make sure that your pranks (or those of your friends or co-workers) don’t go too far or happen too frequently. A good laugh isn’t worth losing a job over.”