Deciding whether to greet colleagues and clients with a kiss or a handshake is a source of great angst among workers

THEIR eyes meet across the room. He approaches her. They wonder, will they, won't they, should I?

This isn't the beginning of a Mills and Boon novel but the daily reality for almost half (46 per cent) of British office workers as they worry whether to kiss or shake hands when greeting clients and colleagues.

Research among 1,219 UK office workers inspired secretarial recruitment consultancy Office Angels to coin the phrase "kiss/shake dilemma".

The research also exposed the most embarrassing "intimate" moments encountered by the UK PLC:

• almost one-fifth (19 per cent) have embarrassingly clashed faces with a colleague or client when aiming to kiss opposite cheeks
• an eighth (13 per cent) become so concerned about whether to kiss or shake hands that they've forgotten the name of the person they're greeting
• 12 per cent have become so flustered about the kiss/shake dilemma that they've ended up waving like a loon instead of kissing or shaking
• 10 per cent have allowed a colleague to sit through a meeting with lipstick on their cheek as a result of a pre-meeting peck with a female client or colleague
• a very embarrassed six per cent have even accidentally groped their colleagues or clients - one party has gone in for the kiss, the other the shake!

The research shows that while a brazen three per cent of London lovies have no concern, admitting "I don't worry - I always kiss", the capital's workforce is stuck in the biggest quandary over kiss/shake etiquette, with levels of concern higher than in any other region.

The pressure of the "media daahling" stereotype leaves 19 per cent of Londoners in fear of coming across as cold and aloof by opting for a handshake over a kiss, and 15 per cent panic about giving one kiss or two.

Kiss/shake worries are less of a problem for those in Northern Ireland, where 73 per cent aren't phased because they always go for a handshake - the highest shake rate of any UK region.

David Clubb, managing director of Office Angels, said: "If you feel struck by the kiss/ shake dilemma, take your lead from the most senior person in the room.

"My advice would always be, if in any doubt, go for a handshake.

"A handshake is always considered professional and courteous, and being on the safe side of formal can never be a bad thing in a workplace situation."

Print   Email this