The stereotypical corporate workplace may bring to mind images of flickering florescent lights, beige walls, and masses of humorless workers sitting in a sea of cubicles. But while this bleak picture may be accurate for some offices across the country, an increasing number of companies are looking to liven things up in order to boost morale. Adding levity to the workplace—a sense of humor and fun—does wonders for both productivity and engagement. Recent studies have shown that employees who believe their workplaces are fun and innovative not only work harder, but also maintain a greater sense of loyalty to their organization. Laughter, one could say, breeds success. In fact, a single instance of levity in a workday can significantly boost productivity, according to Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher, co-authors of the book The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up. “Studies show that there is a direct correlation between being physically relaxed and motor skill acuity, task completion, team interaction, idea generation, creativity and the list goes on and on,” Christopher says. “You don’t have to look much further than a high school basketball coach who reminds his players to ‘have fun out there, guys!’”