Hugging Your Employees on a Daily Basis Usually Impacts as Harassment in Business and at Work

I get it. You’re a manager, and you care about your employees. You like to express that care by hugging your employees hello and goodbye on a daily basis. You’re 100% certain that your employees understand your intention, and feel the same way about you.

It usually doesn’t work that way. For example, I’m a new hire, and I don’t know you personally – you’re my new manager. On my first day, I watch you hug the other employees hello and goodbye – frankly, it weirds me out because you’re crossing my new co-workers’ physical boundaries at work. You attempt to include me in the hugs on my first day – I step back and avoid the offered hug, I don’t want you to touch me. I don’t know you yet,  so I don’t know your intention. All I’m thinking – e.g., the impact on me – is why is my new manager trying to to touch me. And if I don’t let you hug me, you might get mad and fire me for rejecting you – because you as the manager have all of the power in this scenario, and I as the subordinate employee have none. 

Do your executives, managers and supervisors (and you) understand that hugging employees hello and goodbye invariably impacts one or more of your employees as harassment in business and at work?