Humor at Work: Using Humor to Tackle Gallup’s Grim 2025 State of the Workplace Findings

The findings of Gallup’s 2025 State of the Workplace Report were sobering.

Only 21% of employees are engaged, wellbeing is slipping, managers are burning out, and workplace culture is breaking down.

Organizations are asking: How do we re-engage people? How do we rebuild culture?

One powerful but often overlooked answer is humor in leadership. Humor in the workplace isn’t about being funny or telling jokes. It’s about building trust, connection, and humanity — the things employees are craving most.

This interview with comedian, 7-time Emmy-winning comedy writer, and business speaker Beth Sherman connects Gallup’s top 7 workplace problems with how humor, used appropriately, can directly address them.

Humor in Leadership is About Connection

Gallup’s 2025 workplace report shows only 21% of employees are engaged. Wellbeing is slipping. Managers are burning out. Workplace cultures are fraying. Bonuses and perks haven’t solved it.

The fix isn’t about entertainment. It’s about connection.

“I work a lot with leadership, and I work with them in two ways. One is to help them add humor to the workplace. But adding humor isn’t about cracking jokes — I’m not trying to make more comedians, good Lord, we don’t need more. It’s about emotional connection. Humor, laughter, smiles — that’s emotional connection. And I show people how to do that at work in an appropriate way because it’s such a fast track to people feeling included, and that’s what makes them plug in again.

I also help leaders as speakers and communicators. You can have the best message in the world, but if people don’t want to listen to you, or you’re not interesting in some way, you’re kind of wasting everyone’s time.”

— Beth Sherman, Comedian, 7x Emmy-Winning Comedy Writer & Business Speaker

👉 Explore Beth’s one-to-one coaching services.

1. Disengagement and Humor in the Workplace

Gallup: Only 21% of employees are engaged.

“Look at what competes for people’s attention: TikTok, short-form videos, everything. It’s good, it’s entertaining, and people are used to that. So if you want to get attention, you have to learn from what works. Part of it is as simple as being brief. Humor cuts through. It buys attention back.”

— Beth Sherman, Humor Connection Expert

Takeaway: Humor is a reset button. Use it to snap attention back when meetings drift or energy drops.

2. Manager Burnout and Humor in Leadership

Gallup: Manager engagement is collapsing.

“People aren’t taught to lead — they don’t inherently know how. Management, leadership, communication, all of it can be learned and honed. And it’s not about being the funniest person in the office. It’s about finding commonality with people. It’s about making that emotional connection that lets people know you have their interests at heart, that you have a stake in them, that they are seen and heard.

That’s what humor does. Outside of work, people use humor for emotional connection all the time. Why not in the workplace? Especially when so many employees are disengaged. Gallup is even calling it The Great Detachment — people aren’t quitting anymore, but they’re also not engaging, not connecting. Humor is one of the only things that cuts through that.”

— Beth Sherman, Comedian & Emmy-Winning Writer

Takeaway: When managers use humor strategically, they lower pressure, build trust, and avoid burnout — both for themselves and their teams.

3. The Great Detachment

Gallup: Workers feel stuck — not quitting, not engaging.

“People are no longer quitting because the labor market is tight, unemployment is low. But they’re showing up and they’re not engaging. They’re not connecting. They’re just there. That’s The Great Detachment. Humor is what reopens that connection. It lets leaders say, ‘I see you, I get it, I’m in this too.’ That’s how you reattach people who’ve checked out.”

— Beth Sherman, Business Speaker on Humor in Leadership

Takeaway: Humor creates honesty and relatability. It’s the shortest path to breaking silence and re-engaging talent.

4. Declining Wellbeing at Work

Gallup: Only 33% of employees say they are thriving.

“Wellbeing isn’t just yoga classes or fruit in the break room. It’s whether people feel good coming to work. And humor gives people those little hits of energy they desperately need. A laugh is dopamine. It doesn’t erase the workload, but it gives people oxygen. And when leaders weave that into how they run a team, people can breathe again — and then they can actually thrive.”

— Beth Sherman, Humor Connection Expert

Takeaway: A single laugh in a meeting is not wasted time — it’s fuel for wellbeing and performance.

5. Loneliness & Broken Culture

Gallup: Remote and hybrid workers report higher isolation.

“Culture is glue. And a lot of that glue has dissolved. Humor is what re-glues it. When you laugh with someone, you feel closer, even if you’re on Zoom. That’s why rituals matter — the little playful things, the inside jokes, the way you start a meeting. They’re not silly extras. They’re culture repair.”

— Beth Sherman, Business Speaker & Humor Expert

Takeaway: Create team rituals that make space for shared laughter. They are small investments with massive cultural returns.

6. Lack of Clarity & Respect

Gallup: Only 37% of employees feel respected; half lack role clarity.

“It’s hard to give people tough feedback, or tell them exactly what you need, without sounding harsh. Humor softens the edges. It lets you deliver a hard truth in a way people can actually hear it. When leaders use levity, people don’t feel attacked — they feel supported. That’s what creates respect and clarity.”

— Beth Sherman, Emmy-Winning Comedy Writer & Speaker

Takeaway: Humor isn’t about avoiding difficult conversations. It makes them land with empathy.

7. Quiet Quitting

Gallup: Employees look fine but are disengaging under the surface.

“So many people are cracking quietly. They’re still showing up, still delivering, but they’re running on fumes. Humor is often the door into honesty. If a leader can ask a light question — ‘Are we thriving or just surviving today?’ — it gives people a safe way to answer honestly. That levity opens the door to the real conversation that keeps someone from breaking completely.”

— Beth Sherman, Comedian & Leadership Humor Speaker

Takeaway: Levity can be the safe opening that reveals what’s really happening beneath the surface.

Conclusion: Humor in Leadership is a Business Strategy

“You don’t need to be funny. You need to make space for laughter. That’s how you rebuild connection, engagement, and culture.”

— Beth Sherman, 7x Emmy-Winning Comedy Writer & Business Speaker

Humor in leadership isn’t entertainment. It’s a practical strategy to address disengagement, burnout, broken cultures, and the quiet crisis Gallup continues to reveal year after year.

For leaders ready to re-engage teams, rebuild culture, and tackle workplace challenges head-on, humor is one of the most underutilized leadership tools available today.

👉 Learn more about Beth’s keynotes and interactive workshops.

Work With Beth Sherman

Humor isn’t just entertainment — it’s one of the most powerful leadership tools you have.

With 30 years of professional comedy writing, stand-up, and 7 Emmy Awards, Beth Sherman helps executives, managers, and teams use humor to:

• Rebuild culture and connection

• Communicate with clarity and impact

• Engage employees in ways bonuses and perks can’t

About Beth Sherman

Beth Sherman is a comedian, 7-time Emmy-winning comedy writer, and business speaker who helps leaders and teams use humor as a tool for connection, clarity, and engagement. With over 30 years of experience in stand-up and television writing on shows including Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, the Oscars, and Ellen, Beth brings unmatched expertise in making communication more impactful and human.

👉 Learn more about Beth’s story on her About page.