Do you touch your coworkers?

[Anonymous]

Do you ever touch your coworkers? If so, where? Arm/back/etc.? Same gender/opposite gender?

My female coworkers and I sometimes hug, such as last year when I put my dog down and a coworker hugged me. My male coworkers and I never touch each other.

[Anonymous]

Umm, this is awkward 😐

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Do you ever touch your coworkers? If so, where? Arm/back/etc.? Same gender/opposite gender?

My female coworkers and I sometimes hug, such as last year when I put my dog down and a coworker hugged me. My male coworkers and I never touch each other.

I have been hugged by women at work (I'm female), but I have never hugged anyone else. I'd prefer the other women not hug me, but I don't feel comfortable requesting that because everyone else accepts hugs.

One of the men rubs women's arms. I don't feel comfortable with it, but he's more on my boss' level than mine, so I feel I can't say anything.

I wish people would keep their hands to themselves at work.

[Anonymous]

Never once.

[Anonymous]

I'm a man. I've have a few female coworkers I'll hug outside of the office, if we get drinks or something, but not in there office and only if they start it.

[Anonymous]

Rarely. Like once every couple of years bumping into a close friend who also happens to be a coworker at a conference.

Regularly interactions or people I regular see - never more than a handshake

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rarely. Like once every couple of years bumping into a close friend who also happens to be a coworker at a conference.

Regularly interactions or people I regular see - never more than a handshake

Do you shake hands still? Do you do it less than before covid started?

[Anonymous]

I work at a huggy work place. Men and women hug each other, we hug certain long time clients and partners. I hate it. It makes every greeting awkward - is this someone I’m supposed to hug? Is it weird if I just stick out my hand? If I know you well but my junior colleague has only met you twice, should she hug you too? It’s great that there’s camaraderie but wish we could all just shake hands.

Other than the hugging, luckily touch is pretty minimal, though it wouldn’t be out of the norm for someone of either gender to put hands on someone’s shoulders if trying to move by them in a close space or pluck a string off someone’s sleeve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work at a huggy work place. Men and women hug each other, we hug certain long time clients and partners. I hate it. It makes every greeting awkward - is this someone I’m supposed to hug? Is it weird if I just stick out my hand? If I know you well but my junior colleague has only met you twice, should she hug you too? It’s great that there’s camaraderie but wish we could all just shake hands.

Other than the hugging, luckily touch is pretty minimal, though it wouldn’t be out of the norm for someone of either gender to put hands on someone’s shoulders if trying to move by them in a close space or pluck a string off someone’s sleeve.

+1
I'm female and I hug now that everyone has been remote and the get-togethers are rare. It does not feel weird.
I'm also an arm toucher.
I'm also a total introvert and anxious. Am I doing it all wrong?
eek.

[Anonymous]

Rarely. Sometimes hugs for special occasions (celebrations or funerals).

I know a man who often uses touch to express himself. He moves his hands a lot, and is very expressive. He likes to lightly place his hand on people's shoulders or touch their forearm to accent what he's saying, or to convey goodwill and attention (to both men and women). He's very nice and I appreciate his body language, in this world full of super uptight people a hair-trigger away from lawsuits.

Light physical touch is always welcome. Full body hugs are not my favorite, personally, but I tolerate them since people who do that are not creeps, this is just how they express themselves.

[Anonymous]

In 34 years of work one person and I hugged each other rather spontaneously as she had just had her husband die of cancer and I had a family member diagnosed. It was a nice moment. Otherwise I never touched anyone and can't remember anyone ever touching me and I'm glad about that because I don't like to be touched, don't want a reassuring touch on the arm or anything else and years of harassment training made we extremely wary of doing so or why anyone ever would.

[Anonymous]

Two women in senior management are big time huggers.

Creepy af.

[Anonymous]

Never.

One time my boss and I stood suuuper close. It was weird. (It has been 16+ years since that happened)

[Anonymous]

I work almost entirely remotely, but we gather in person about 4 times a year, so some people hug either hello or goodbye. There’s just something kind of
funny about finally being in the same room with someone you only ever see on screen (assuming you like the person.)

[Anonymous]

One time I had to participate in a team building exercise in which we had to hold hands in a circle and I got stuck next to one of the senior VPs. (He’s a man, I’m a woman.) It felt like we were holding hands forever. So incredibly awkward.