Do you touch your coworkers?

[Anonymous]

I'm a guy and no touching except for very occasional handshakes. One nice thing about remote work is not having that awkwardness of leaning over someone or them leaning over me while doing training.

[Anonymous]

It is a joke among my *VERY LONG TERM* co-workers that I am not a hugger. One of them does it anyway as a joke....and we both laugh. But I have known her for 20y.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I've hugged a few. I hugged our IT guy when he got a promotion. I hugged an associate when she made partner. A coworker hugged me when my mom died. It's really common to ask where I live. "Can I give you a hug?"

[Anonymous]

Sometimes. I ask first though (and have had people decline).

[Anonymous]

Im female and usually hug coworkers turned friends - make and female. The last decade however, I’ve given more hugs to just coworkers. There have been a few events where coworkers are visibly upset or affected (trump winning, church and synagogue shootings, death, illness or divorce, etc), I ask coworkers if they’re ok and also ask if I can hug them and they’ve all cried into my shoulder. All women though.

Rule of thumb is no touch but I do think it’s ok to recognize distress and be able to provide comfort or presence if needed or asked.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not.

- Man

[Anonymous]

A handshake is about it. Anything else like touching an arm could be found offensive by someone and get you reported. It’s simply not worth it.

[Anonymous]

When I was practicing law, I never touched another coworker, except for handshakes.

I now have a strange little job where I work as an independent contractor with mostly actor types doing simulations (my undergrad was theater) and we hug and sit with our arms around each other and rub each other's shoulders and show physical affection a great deal. I didn't realize that I craved it until I was in a position where I now get it. It's so nice. I would never quit my job even if I won the lottery because of loving my coworkers so much, and I've heard plenty of them say the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Ick, that's awful. Another reason I hate team-building exercises. Has anyone ever done the one where you fall backward and other people catch you? Must be awkward. Or maybe it's just something they do in movies.

[Anonymous]

Hell no. Other than professional handshakes, touching is inappropriate in my line of work.

[Anonymous]

I’m a tall, extroverted 40-year old man, a big hugger in my personal life, but I’m completely paranoid about hugging people at work. I have no interest in my friendliness and my personal inclinations toward touching being misinterpreted. I can think of a handful of occasions that I’ve grasped male coworkers on the shoulder (“hey, congrats on that result, Dave”) but no hugs.

[Anonymous]

Nonprofit environment. Lots of huggers. I’m cool with it.

[Anonymous]

Only once beyond a handshake and I ended up marrying her.

[Anonymous]

I am not a hugger and I think I give off a don’t touch me vibe. The only coworker I’ve wanted to hug is one I was also very sexually attracted to

[Anonymous]

Never