What do you think about being touched in the workplace? Examples could include: patting on the back, high fives, handshakes etc. Do your opinions change when it's manager touching employee, or maybe employee touching manager. Is it ever okay in your opinion?
I'm okay with high fives, hand shakes, fist bumps, and other hands-only gestures. Anything beyond that is a no-go unless we know each other fairly well. So I guess my answer would be, "depends on the kind of touch".
totally depends on the situation, on the people involved, their work relationships, and the place in the office hierarchy -- boss touching subordinate is potentially much more problematic.
A pat on the back is ok, but in my case it always was much more. Like the last job I had which was at a car lot that I quit back in 1999 I had several men pestering me for sex. One used to slap my ass all the time and talking dirty. One night it was him and me closing up and I was walking by his office and he grabbed my wrist and pulled me in his office. He pulled it out and forced me to watch him jack it off till he came. He was a powerfull man and I could not get away. He really wanted me to give him a BJ but I refused. He had been talking dirty for months and grabbing me and slaping my ass. He got fired shortly later thank God, for stealing. He scared me and I was very afraid of him. If he had stayed much longer I know he would have gone farther the next time. He only did that because he had no condom on him and months earlier I tried to discourage him by telling him I has aids on hopes he would leave me alone. That had always worked before when a coworker caught my scent and was getting crazy. Souch things happened at every job I had. I love being a housewife out in the country away from unwanted advances. I love men don't get me wrong, but not against my will and when a agressive one gets it for me I have had quite a few bad experences. June
Honestly, it depends on the context and the person. In general, physical contact in the workplace should be as limited as possible because of cultural differences. What one touch means to you means something completely different to someone else. Until college, I wasn't used to people touching me. I never hugged my friends and rarely hugged/kissed family members. I thought it was very odd when strangers hugged me, and sometimes it still makes me uncomfortable when someone invades my personal space.
It depends for me. If I know and like the person then high-fives, handshakes, pats on the back is all good. If I don't like them or know them then I feel very uncomfortable.
It depends on the situation, but even then I'm not too fond of touch in the workplace. Not too long ago I was walking down a hall in my workplace when a supervisor came up to me and, without warning, hugged me. I just stood there extremely confused/uncomfortable and she congratulated me on being certified and no longer a trainee. So then I understood and half heartedly returned the hug. Most awkward embrace of my life. :lol:
I'm OK with two-way gestures like a high 5 or a handshake where both people need to be involved or it doesn't happen. Not ok with random touching though.
