When you meet someone new at work, do you go in for a hug? A firm handshake? A wave? What about your boss? Your direct report? A colleague you’ve worked with for years? Turns out a simple greeting in the workplace can be quite contentious—and slightly awkward (see above GIF)—but it’s especially tricky if you’re a woman. We unpack the gendered implications of hugging vs. handshaking, and how to politely reject a hug you don’t want. 🙅♀️ |
Handshake or Hug? For Women, It’s Complicated |
Just add “physical contact with colleagues” to the list of things we don’t miss about returning to office (we’d rather live through small talk before a Zoom meeting instead)—and it seems like we’re mostly all in agreement. According to a survey from hiring platform Total Jobs, 76 percent of respondents want workplace physical contact to be reduced, while 15 percent want a total ban on hugging. And 25 percent admitted to being trapped in an unwanted hug at some point in their career. *Shudders.*
You’re not sure if a handshake feels too formal, but you’re not fully comfortable with a hug, and yet, you force yourself to go along with it because the other person went in for an embrace. You also feel the societal pressure to be affectionate, easy-going and approachable ‘cause you’re a woman. And you don’t want to deal with the potential backlash from a male colleague when you reject their hug. Can you relate? "Expectations and norms around physical affection and friendliness make women feel they are frequently expected to be friendly," BGG Enterprises president Stephanie Alston told PS (formerly known as POPSUGAR).
Even though there are no hard-and-fast rules around what type of greeting is appropriate when, here are some guidelines to help you figure out your own comfort level (and the other person’s):
🫂 Never assume, always ask permission, especially when it’s your first time meeting. A simple: “Can I give you a hug” or “Are you a hugger” is a good place to start. And don’t take it personally if the other person prefers to keep things at arm’s length.
🫂 Don’t be afraid to speak up. It doesn’t have to be awkward or a big deal. Just say, "I'm more of a handshake person" or “I’m not much of a hugger” is all it takes. 🫂 Office relationships look different for everyone, especially with power dynamics at play, so you can always ask your boss or direct reports what they’re comfortable with and make that decision together. 🫂 And, of course, if anything inappropriate happens or a colleague purposely crosses a boundary, report the incident to HR or your boss, or speak to someone you trust outside of work about what action—if any—you want to take.
We want to hear from you! What are your thoughts about hugging your colleagues, direct reports or boss? Do you have any rules or boundaries? Have you been in an awkward hug situation at work? Tell us more (as always, your answers are anonymous).
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✅ Work tip of the week: How to pitch yourself to your dream company (even if they're not hiring). No open position? No problem! Career expert Christie Lohr from Style Nine to Five shares her tips for reaching out:
😍 Get personal. There’s a reason why they’re your dream company, so let’s hear it! Start your pitch email with why you love their brand—share a personal anecdote or use your excitement to make a connection. (That’s exactly what Tori Lazar did, and now she’s our course instructor!) 💡 Be specific. Spell out what you want to do for them rather than just expressing that you’d love to join their team. Which department would you excel in? What role do you envision? Is there a gap in their business that you’ll fill? Share the deets to make it easy for them to picture you in action. Bonus points for using metrics on your past successes to strengthen your case—stats always impress!
🎨 Go above and beyond. Pull out all the stops to get noticed. Send a video introduction, attach a portfolio of a marketing campaign you’ve created for their brand, or rebrand their logo if you’re a graphic designer. The extra time it takes pays off when you get on their radar. |
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Introducing Your New Social Media Sidekick |
Victoria here, Girlboss’ senior writer! I’ve got a storytime for you. I’ll pause for a moment so you can get a beverage and your favorite snack. 🍿
Okay, so, a few weeks ago, our dear social media specialist, Cheska, went on vacation and left me in charge of posting on Girlboss’ Instagram and LinkedIn accounts for a few days. No big deal right? Wrong. (To preface, she did a brilliant job preparing us with a content plan and pre-scheduled posts—but I still had to design a few additional assets, think of witty captions and schedule everything. As someone who’s rusty with social media, it took me 10x longer than it should have.) The whole time I was thinking, “there has to be an easier way.”
Then, I came across the all-new Adobe Express AI content creation mobile app. I wish I had this when Cheska was on vacation. You can create custom animations, design beautiful, professional-looking social posts and videos, and generate real-time social captions in 100+ languages, just with a simple description. Ready to post? Using the Adobe Express Content Scheduler, you can plan, preview, schedule and publish to any of your social channels with the click of a button, and now, directly from your phone. Genius, if you ask me! 💡
Ready to create content like a pro? Download the Adobe Express mobile app now to try out all of the incredible new features, including Adobe Firefly generative AI for FREE! A one-stop shop for all of your content creation needs. 🪄 |
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Dating As A Powerful Woman Can Be a Liability |
On Friday we released our fave editorial package to date: a celebration of single girls everywhere!
In this story, we unpack the underlying implication that the higher a woman ranks in her career, the more likely a relationship can drag her down. |
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Antioxidant Glow Shimmer Body Oil, Coco & Eve, $35
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| The Vacation Glow in a Bottle |
“Summer is all about hydrated, glowing, golden skin. ✨ Add a touch of luxury to your summer body care routine with Coco & Eve's Antioxidant Glow Shimmer Body Oil. Infused with tropical oils (like Australian macadamia and coconut oils), vegan squalane, shimmering pearlescent minerals and natural glitter, this lightweight formula isn’t greasy and hydrates your skin while leaving it with a radiant, sun-kissed glow. Perfect for any occasion and all skin tones, it’s the secret to that ‘I just got back from three weeks in the Maldives’ tan all year round. 🌴” — Kate, brand partnerships manager
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The Bachelorette Season 21 |
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The Most Dramatic Season ✨ Ever ✨ |
“Bachelor Nation, all rise! 🌹 Mondays are bearable again, thanks to Jenn Tran. The physician assistant student is making history as the first Asian-American Bachelorette, and after seeing her on Joey Graziadei’s season, I couldn’t think of a more perfect lead. She is adventurous, charming, relatable, funny, confident, and of course, insanely beautiful. Her season premiered last week, and it’s so funny watching a bunch of guys making fools of themselves trying to make a memorable first impression. One guy rolled up in a stretcher with his face bandaged up, another one sang a song he wrote, and one brought alcohol shots in syringes. Ok, effort! 👏 Episode 2 drops tonight.” — Victoria, senior writer
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Collagen Protein Powder, Drink Wholesome, $60 (28 servings) |
| The Protein Powder for Sensitive Stomachs |
“I’ve never been a protein-powder girl because I thought it was reserved for people who lift weights at the gym and want to bulk up. 💪 But boy, was I wrong. I got a chance to try this dairy-free vanilla collagen protein powder from Drink Wholesome, which has just four ingredients: bovine collagen peptides, coconut, monk fruit and vanilla (no whey powder or a laundry list of other ingredients you can’t pronounce). I added a serving into a smoothie with a banana, frozen peaches and berries, and oat milk, and it was the perfect after-work snack that satisfied my hangriness just enough so I could make dinner. And it’s a bonus that my body is getting collagen benefits too!” — Victoria
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Responsible for all marketing and communications in the US, this senior thought leader owns the strategy and execution of marketing in the region for Philosophy.
Key team member responsible for the growth and evolution of the brand, how the brand is positioned in the marketplace, attracting new customers, retaining existing customers, and alignment with the goals of the Luxe division. Strategic and analytical leader while having a creative side to think outside the box with limitless thinking.
APPLY IF YOU: The successful candidate will have a track record of success driving integrated marketing programs. They will bring understanding of the dynamics of the beauty business and will have had experience dealing with luxury department stores (Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks), department stores (Macy’s, Dillard’s) and specialty stores (Sephora, Ulta). This executive will have experience managing a similar sized team and will have built marketing capabilities in an organization.
SALARY: $230,000 - $255,000 |
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