Use the room test, not the shock test
The safest office joke points at work itself: an overbooked calendar, a familiar meeting habit, or a desk ritual. Skip anything about a protected trait, someone’s body, politics, religion, relationships, or private life. If you would hesitate to explain the joke with the recipient’s boss standing there, choose another gift.
A quick laugh is enough. Small useful objects and mildly distracting desk pieces are easier to receive than giant props, messy pranks, or anything that creates a display obligation.
