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Etiquette at work : Is physical contact rude?

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  1. #41

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    This was interesting, since I colleague (lady ~40ish very local) commented after me putting a hand on her shoulder. We are a small office and had been small-talking for a year or so (so we know each other fairly well), when she made a good joke I put my hand on her shoulder and tapped it a bit, without really thinking about it..

    Afterward she explained that her husband would not like that other men were touching her in the office and something about that it's a good thing that he's not here, to make me feel she didn't really mind. No big deal but I think nobody from my home culture would have made such a comment for such a innocent shoulder tap.

    Interested to hear some more experiences. I'm also fascinated by that the locals never hug each other, but they seems very happy to walk arm in arm on the streets.


  2. #42

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    Challenge:

    Everyone, go up to two colleagues (one local, one expat) and as you speak to them, give them a little shoulder massage.

    Please report back here with responses


  3. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by justjoe86:
    Challenge:

    Everyone, go up to two colleagues (one local, one expat) and as you speak to them, give them a little shoulder massage.

    Please report back here with responses
    Opposite sex? Same sex? What should be talk about?

    Need to have more controlled environment in this experiment.

  4. #44

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    Quote Originally Posted by virago:
    Opposite sex? Same sex? What should be talk about?

    Need to have more controlled environment in this experiment.
    Opposite sex.
    Talk about silk duvet covers.

  5. #45

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    Quote Originally Posted by justjoe86:
    Challenge:

    Everyone, go up to two colleagues (one local, one expat) and as you speak to them, give them a little shoulder massage.

    Please report back here with responses
    Boss (expat) said that's nice and asked if he could take off his jacket. Colleague (local/ CBC friend) laugher her ass off at me.

    Seriously though, I've worked in an office here for over 7 years and would consider that kind of touching unacceptable in an kind of profesional role. I've had a few mainland clients over the years who would grab me to get my attention but never a local collegue.

  6. #46

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    Quote Originally Posted by Outintotheworld:

    Whenever an urgent request comes in, this lady walks up to my desk with her laptop. She doesn't greet me or introduce her arrival in any way, but starts talking like a waterfall about the task at hand.
    Typical...I even have numbskulls at work who materialize at my side like specters...I have headphones on...I sense them right there...I turn and all I see is a mouth moving. Stupid idiot is jibbering at me. I can't hear a thing. They see I have headphones on...I'm not even looking at them...but they think that's the perfect time to launch into whatever they need to talk about. I take my headphones off...yes what can I do for you? They can't believe I haven't heard every word they've said.

  7. #47

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    the world can only progress as its most sensitive soul. a hand on the shoulder, a touch of the arm etc. does not mean someone wants to hit on you - which is why so many people (or their husbands) feel offended by it - they really need to get over themselves.

    if you dont want someone touching you (i mean in a friendly way and not a dirty grope by strangers) then just announce you have a contagious disease or something.


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