After that awkward moment on The Graham Norton Show when Adam Sandler touched Claire Foy’s knee, physical contact between colleagues has become a hot topic.
The debate, discussed on Good Morning Britain today, has been heightened by the recent sex abuse scandals in Hollywood and Westminster.
So is touching a colleague offensive? Whether it’s a pat of the knee or placing a hand on their shoulder?
In the ITV studio to debate the matter today with Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley was author Helen Croydon and journalist Daisy Buchanan.
Daisy said she believed it was wrong to touch colleagues in any way because if it is tolerated, it could lead to worse inappropriate behaviour.
She said: “A culture has been allowed to flourish because of this casual touching. Where do you draw the line? When someone touches your knee it is hard to speak out as it is seen as minor but it might make someone uncomfortable. We need to focus on how the person feeling touched feels.”
She added the person feeling touched might feel uncomfortable but in a position where they can’t say anything, for example, if their boss touches them in a way they aren’t happy about.
She said touching a colleague whether it is a hand on the knee or on the shoulder can be a “form of exerting power over them.”
Helen disagreed saying she believes contact between humans is “natural” and good for us, as it releases the feelgood hormone oxytocin. She added there is rarely anything sexual about touching a colleague.
She said: “Who gets a sexual kick out of touching someone on the shoulder or giving them a pat on the back? Touching can be a form of expression in the same way as gesturing with your hands.”
She then demonstrated this herself when she inadvertently touched Daisy on the arm, which the journalist wasn’t happy about, saying it “made her feel uncomfortable on live TV.”
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Giving his view, Richard said he thought a hand on the knee of a colleague was “crossing the line” but he didn’t think Daisy should have been offended by Helen touching her as they are both women.
Helen disagreed with that point though, as she said if there is to be equality in the workplace, there can’t be “one rule for men and another for women.”
Commenting on the Adam Sandler moment with Claire Foy, in which the actress had looked uncomfortable, Helen said she didn’t think The Crown star should have been offended as it was clearly a “friendly gesture” from the actor.
Helen explained that in this case and others, you can “tell if it’s sleazy or not.”
Viewers at home has plenty to say too and tweeted to share their views.
A poll on the GMB Twitter account asking people to vote on the matter resulted in an almost even split.
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When asked, “is touching colleagues ever appropriate?” 47% answered yes while 53% said no.
Susanna had the final comment on GMB saying she believed touching between colleagues depends on “context, consent and how it makes someone feel.”