Jokes are junk mail to some people. There is nothing more annoying than being on someone’s joke mailing list when you don’t want to be.

If you are on a joke list and want off, send a polite response asking to be removed from the list. If you are the sender, pre-qualify the recipients by saying: “I send out jokes from time to time. Would you like to be on my list?” That gives them the opportunity to say no up front rather than having to say later, “Stop doing this, please, you’re annoying me.”

Beware of jokes in poor taste. Even if sender and recipient consent, don’t forget that your message can be forwarded with your name still attached. Managers have become concerned because if the wrong person sees a message, a harassment charge could be laid against the organization. And racial jokes are not okay. Pick a new topic.