Office hugging could be key to a better workplace

It’s no longer unusual to greet co-workers with a hug in the office, according to new reports. The BBC has revealed that many are shirking the hand shake for the hug as research may indicate that getting closer to your colleagues could show a boost in productivity.

Some industries are embracing the new trend quicker than others, with the BBC reporting that creative sectors like marketing and advertising consider a hug fairly common. However, there is still an emphasis on only hugging people who feel comfortable with it, as an appeals court recently ruled that they can create a hostile work environment. If employees hug men and women co-workers in noticeably different manners, they can cause an abusive work environment if it is both “unwelcome and pervasive.”

However, ensuring to treat your co-workers with respect and keeping it friendly can benefit your whole team. Physical contact can release a ‘cuddle hormone’ in both parties known as Oxytocin, which can help your body experience warmth and develop trust with your team, according to Power2Improve. Pointing out that physical contact between teammates is common practice in the world of sports, with athletes frequently hugging, patting and high-fiving their team to congratulate and console, some experts believe that hugging can enhance collaboration.

Studies into workplace hugs have gone on for decades, with reports from 15 years ago claiming ‘amazing’ results from forbidding overtime and encouraging group hugs and contributing positively to the office dynamic.

“Often new staff raise their eyebrows when they see what goes on but we have found they soon get into the mood,” said Jerry Farrelly of Farrelly Facilities and Engineering in 2002, who saw profits triple through hugging. “I haven’t enforced these rules but the staff instantly took it up themselves. The women also decided to start hugging twice a day.”

Of course, if you’re put off by the concept of cuddling with a colleague, you could always suggest investing in an office dog.

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