The Handshake
When covid-19 welcomed itself into our lives, many things changed and we found ourselves searching for ways to adapt to the new normal. One of the first things to go was physical contact; especially with strangers. What we saw were innovative ways to greet one another to replace the handshake, the fist bump and the hug. Interestingly, these greetings were a topic of discussion among HR professionals well before the pandemic started.
Obviously, hugs were seen as inappropriate between coworkers since it could be portrayed as sexual harassment or, at the very least, as being unprofessional. The fist bump is normally not used in the corporate world but, rather, in the hallways of dormitories. However, the handshake is the traditional greeting among professionals; yet, it has come across a bit of controversy through the years. Because of this, maybe this is the time to end this tradition for good.
An old saying goes that if it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it. Because of this, some may argue that just because we’re temporarily advised by the World Health Organization, WHO, to cease shaking hands with one another, doesn’t mean we should stop permanently. But maybe those who believe that don’t realize the cons of joining sweaty palms together. Yet wet hands are just one of the downsides to the shake. Listed are the top reasons handshakes should be avoided:
Some use the handshake as a way to showcase their dominance. You may be going in for a friendly shake, only to be met by a vice grip that leaves your fingers aching afterwards.
Handshaking is used to judge character. A limp hand tells the receiver that the other is a weak person; a strong handshake is quite the opposite. However, a person’s character should be determined by the actions they make, not by their hand gesture.
To continue with the previous point, women have found added pressure to deliver a strong handshake; especially in the workplace where we’re still trying to prove to the opposite sex that we belong there. This may also be the case for persons with a disability, especially for those with a physical disability.
To continue with the sweaty palms mentioned before, handshakes are sometimes met with unfavorable conditions. Besides shaking hands with a sweater, receivers may also find themselves in a handshake with someone I like to call a “caresser,” or someone who uses their second hand to envelope the receiver’s hand and possibly then stroking that hand up and down gently in a petting motion. Very creepy.
Yet the biggest reason to end all handshakes is for the same reason why WHO and the Center for Disease Control, CDC, has advised us to hold off on giving them due to covid-19: hygiene. The CDC said, based on a study, that only 31% of men and 65% of women wash their hands after visiting a public restroom. One, gross. And two, I wonder if those numbers are even lower in familiar restrooms, like at home or in the office.
That being said, proposing to end all handshakes may help prevent more than just the spread of contagious diseases and viruses, it can also level the playing field at work. Candidates won't have to place such emphasis on their handshake in hopes of acing the interview, receivers won’t feel violated after a handshake from a “caresser” and coworker, and women won’t feel pressured to show off the strength of their hand muscles to the boss. I think a friendly hand wave can go a long way.
Reference
Handwashing: A Corporate Activity. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on January 8, 2022 from https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/pdf/hwcorporate.pdf
