It may be a touchy subject but a new study says that physical contact between workers can bring positive benefits to a business. It’s not about the kind of contact that could lose people their jobs or make them feel uneasy, but genuine warmth that makes colleagues feel good. Writing for Fast Company Michael Grothaus highlights a study undertaken in 2009 which studied NBA players. By analysis video of games the researchers found that the more players made contact with a high-five or back-slap in the early part of the season the more success the team had. David J. Linden, professor of neuroscience at John Hopkins University, says that “when appropriate” touch can bring benefits in the workplace: "Friendly touching serves as social glue that binds people in the workplace and in the community. It engenders feelings of trust and cooperation. It makes co-workers have more team spirit and more empathy for each other." Clearly ‘appropriate’ is the key word and while a handshake is generally acceptable to all other actions can be misunderstood.
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