Today is National Hug Your Boss Day – but will you?

You may not be aware, but Friday, September 9 is National Hug Your Boss Day, so it could be time to show some affection to the person keeping you in a job. Or is it?

When is it acceptable to even touch your boss let alone a hug and in what situations is it completely normal to throw your arms around them? National Hug Your Boss Day, which was created by TipTopJob, aims to promote healthy working relationships.

TipTopJob.com suggests that if you can’t hug your boss, then your relationship with them needs to be addressed. Research from them found that what industry you work in would have a huge say in if you would feel comfortable giving your boss a hug. Only 30% of those who work in accountancy, finance and legal socialise with their boss in their free time, compared to 95% of those who work in sales, marketing and media.

However, being willing to hug your boss can also, of course, depends on whether you actually like them or not. Research also showed that a whopping 79% of us have shouted at our boss in anger and 88% of us feel that arguments and disagreements at work makes us feel de-motivated. Therefore, making our boss the last person on earth we want to embrace.

If you haven’t seen your boss in a while, it may feel natural to hug them to welcome them back to the office. It is also acceptable to hug your boss in celebration if they have just given you some very good news. It is OK to get hugging when either of you have received some bad news or struggling to deal with a difficult situation.

But what are the rules when it comes to embracing your boss?

1. Always keep it short
If it goes on for just slightly too long, it can become awkward and far too emotional for a relationship between an employee and a manager.

2. Don’t hug if you are ill
If you’re feeling slightly under the weather, don’t even think about touching your boss. The last thing you want to do is to make your boss ill too. If you do, you can probably wave goodbye to that promotion.

3. Pay attention to body language 
Before you throw yourself at your boss, consider their body language. Are they happy or looking really serious? Are they leaning in or trying their best to not even look you in the eye? Before going in for a good old squeeze, look at how they are positioning themselves.

4. Think about what type of boss they are
Is your boss one of those bosses? Chances are, if they’re up for a hug, it is probably because they’re smiley and super positive. The bosses that are a bit more serious will of course, be less likely to appreciate your gesture of love.

5. Try a handshake instead…
Of course, if you don’t want to take the risk of a hug, stick to what you know and go in for a good firm handshake. No awkward moment and no chance of losing your job any time soon!

Will you be hugging your boss anytime soon?