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There’s no catch-all rule on when a physical greeting is OK – so exercise caution, an expert says.
Thinking of going in for the hug with your favourite co-worker on a Monday morning? Err on the side of caution and make sure they’re comfortable with it, an expert says.
Physical boundaries in a workplace can be tricky to navigate, employment lawyer Alison Maelzer said, as in some situations a physical greeting might not be appropriate. Meanwhile others – a hongi or a handshake, for example – might be expected.
On Thursday, the Auckland District Court ruled that a nurse would be discharged without conviction after hugging a fellow nurse “too tightly” at Auckland City Hospital in February 2021.
Maelzer, a partner at the Auckland law firm Hesketh Henry, has some recommendations for employees wanting to make sure they are being respectful in their greetings.
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There’s no catch-all advice, she said, but you should be able to get a good steer by following workplace guidelines and exercising caution.
“Don’t touch your colleagues unless you are confident that they are happy with, and expecting, that physical contact.
“That’s just a life rule.”
A damning new report has revealed hundreds of thousands of black and minority ethnic people faced racial discrimination at work in the UK. More than 120,000 workers have quit their jobs because of racism.
If someone mentions that they are uncomfortable with the greeting, such as a hug, and you then persist, it’s likely to be seen as a form of harassment, Maelzer said.
On the other side of it, if you feel uncomfortable with an interaction with a colleague, you should raise your concerns, she said.
Maelzer said there are some situations where it would be more expected for there to be physical greetings – like in a formal cultural environment.
“In an iwi organisation there might be more of an expectation that there would be hugs, hongi or perhaps even a kiss on the cheek.”
Workplaces will not have a policy listing everything that is acceptable and not acceptable, so the cautious approach is always best, she said.
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