A little respect goes a long way

MOST employees want hugging and kissing in the workplace banned, according to a new survey. A third of participants said they had experienced ‘awkward’ greetings with colleagues. Many ended up trapped in an unwanted hug or as the recipient of a misdirected ‘airkiss’ that ends up on the mouth. They say that not knowing what is expected of them leaves them feeling stressed. Yes, modern etiquette can certainly be a minefield. Personally, I deplore the trend for ‘assumed intimacy’. This can happen even with new acquaintances, and has us embracing people before we’ve so much as been properly introduced to them! But unnecessary physical contact aside, what is worse is the insistence that we must all be on first-name terms. It is endemic in the healthcare and social care systems. I think there’s something wholly disrespectful about bawling ‘Mavis, it’s tea-time’ across the day room of a nursing home at a resident old enough to your great-grandmother. Personally, I like addressing patients by their title and surname. It confers instant respect and establishes a suitable emotional distance for both parties. Healthcare professionals should never make the mistake of thinking that to be caring, they also have to be overly intimate.