North's workers shun kissing

Workers in the North are the most likely in the UK to exchange a handshake rather than a kiss, according to a new report today.

A survey of 1,200 workers by recruitment firm Office Angels revealed surprising concerns about whether to kiss or shake hands, with one in eight forgetting the name of the person they were greeting because they were so worried.

A fifth had accidentally clashed faces, one in 10 were so flustered that they ended up waving like an idiot, and a similar number allowed a colleague to sit through a meeting with lipstick on their cheek.

An embarrassed few admitted they had ended up groping a colleague or client after opting for a kiss, while the other one tried to shake hands.

Londoners were most likely to be concerned about the issue, compared with workers in the North, where most always went for a handshake.

David Clubb, managing director of Office Angels said: “If you feel struck by the kiss/shake dilemma, take your lead from the most senior person in the room.

“My advice would always be, if in any doubt, go for a handshake. A handshake is always considered professional and courteous, and being on the safe side of formal is never a bad thing in a work place situation.”