14 March 2010 [Sunday] @ March 14, 2010 edit
Is it ok to playfully touch my co-workers?
I know at work its really not a good idea to goof off and slack alot but if people are working very hard, I dont see why not once in a while have some fun. Especially in a laid back job working in the office and even sometimes my supervisor would fool around and like playfully hit me on the back and horseplay and some of the girls I work with kind of fool around with me and flirt like a little in a way and I walk over to their desk and joke with them by slapping their back with a check saying: "Get to work." and they dont mind it and dont think its any form of harassment or anything with invading their space and not keeping our hands to ourselves. Is this acceptable work behavior? I mean, for a male and a female to playfully touch each other once in a while in the workplace but not all the time, is this right?This is not alright. Lawsuits can develop, feeling can be hurt, jobs can end up in jeopardy. Our bosses pay us to work, keep the childish games out of the workplace.
Touching is not appropriate beyond a handshake. And if the touching is not appropriate for either sex to do to the other, is is doubly inappropriate (would you be as happy if a man touched you in the same way a woman does in the office....if not, then the touching is inappropriate). Period.
For those thumbing down, and not realizing it, Bob has a problem with "touching". Right now he has 3 questions about it, including this gem. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
Doesn't anyone have a sense of when something is wrong???As long as the contact doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, it's okay. If it does make you feel uncomfortable, say something - pull them aside (not in front of a group, that's just mean) and say that you don't like when they do that. Much of the time they probably don't even realize they might be crossing a line - some people are just more touchy-feely than others. Playful contact - like a light slap on the shoulder and whatnot - helps keep work more fun. Yeah yeah some say you're not being paid to have fun, but honestly, if you have absolutely no fun at work then it feels like being in prison. Anyone who says that has obviously never worked in a job that they really didn't like - I work in retail, and if we didn't goof off occasionally at work, we'd all either be miserable, or we'd be driven legally insane by the stupidity of customers, lol.If its a playful touch on the back or shoulders it seems fine. But be careful, don't touch a female (or male) anywhere else because if you touched them in the wrong place like the butt or boobs you could get complained about for harassment.No...definitely not ok for many reasons. Someone could feel uncomfortable with it who's not saying so and complain, someone could get the wrong idea and go all crazy on you if that's not what you meant, someone could get jealous of you playfully toucing someone else, someone could miscontrue it...etc, etc. It opens you and the company up to all sorts of lawsuits and ugliness. Dangerous ground you tread.
Some may find if offensive while others may enjoy it.
Be sure before you play.
It's not something you should risk. All it takes is one girl to complain. And the worst part about that is it doesn't even have to be the girl you touched. Another girl who saw you touch a female can go and complain and say it made her feel uncomfortable, and you still get reamed by HR, if not fired. Playing around is fine, but I'd recommend keeping hands off of others. "Intentional" touching, whether it is playful or not, can lead to "harassing" touch... therefore should be avoided in the workplace.
However, UN-intentional touching is most times unavoidable. I have worked at a pizza chain for 14 years, and one thing I always tell new employees is that working there is a "body contact sport!" We are so cramped for space that we are constantly brushing against each other in passing, bumping, etc. etc. Normally, there is polite apologies that accompany such unintentional touching. I have had my breasts bumped into ... but then, I always say that I suffer from the Dolly Parton Syndrome... they lead, I follow! But I do not take such incidents personally. It is only if such touching is intentional when it becomes wrong.
Have a polite day.no, becase if you piss one of them off one day all that playful touching suddenly becomes harrasment. Be very careful about what you are doing, especially if you are a male supervisor and your coworker is femaleno it not a good idea at allThe length of your explanation says it all.
Another POV: how would you feel about your wife or husband being playfully touched by another on a regular basis? That's how their spouses feel.No. It's sexual harassment and it's against the law. You should tell him to stop and then tell his boss that he's doing it, and if it continues, you will report him. Never touch anyone in any situation without his or her permission.
All the best.If you are a boss, you may never know which employees are irritated by your touching. Especially when they don't see you coming.No playfully touching co-worker is off limit.it's all fun and games until someone goes to HR and complains. and it's fair if someone who feels uncomfortable about the horse play--especially the touching--does that.Be careful; you could get accused of harrassment. Don't touch unless she touches first, then be very careful how you touch.#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
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