HANDSHAKE COULD BE BANNED UNDER NEW "NO PHYSICAL CONTACT" RULE

London, UNITED KINGDOM:
United Kingdom employers may consider banning handshakes under new rules about physical contact at work.

To avoid confusion about what kind of touch is acceptable, they may ban it altogether to avoid costly sexual harassment claims.

It comes as a survey found three out of four people want a total ban on physical contact in the workplace.

Kate Palmer, associate director of advisory at HR consultancy Peninsula, told Metro.co.uk: ‘Some employers may put a complete ban on physical contact. Whether that’s going too far or not is a question I would pose, because it’s contextual. Does shaking someone’s hand go too far?

‘They may just say ‘no contact at all’ because there’s no grey area. It makes it simple, but it takes away affection which in some ways is a sad thing.’

She said that the #MeToo movement had prompted employers to think hard about how to prevent sexual harassment claims, in some cases implementing more ‘black and white’ policies.

‘I haven’t seen anywhere go as far as banning shaking hands, but there may be an employer who has gone as far as that,’
she said.

‘You’re probably safe with a handshake – unless your employer says otherwise. If there’s a rule, follow it.

‘That’s the most physical contact I would have with a fellow employee. Even if it’s a sensitive situation, when someone is upset I would be very mindful of a hug or putting my hand on their hand. Try to separate it from being too personal.’

She said the level of contact deemed appropriate varies from person to person, so people should be aware of the context.

Different sectors may have different norms, for example it may be more acceptable to pat someone on the back on a construction site than it is in an office,
she said.

Kate said that all employers should think about their policy for physical contact, and make sure staff are trained in it. They should also make sure there’s a clear grievance policy set out for people to make any complaints.

Staff should be aware of any policies and stick to it – even at a work do, for example at someone’s leaving drinks.

‘The workplace does extend outside the office,’
Kate said.

‘The classic example is the Christmas night out. We get a lot of queries about how to control staff behaviour at events.’

She recommends employers send out a memo reminding staff of their policies, advising them to ‘be sensible, but don’t cross the line’.

SOURCE: Metro.