Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT

I am a hugger. When I see a colleague I like coming my way in the office, I just want to jump to give him/her a bear hug. But be careful. There are a lot of office huggers like me who might create an awkward situation. 

To hug or not to hug at work? Well, it depends on the culture of your workplace. It's a gray area. Hugging at work probably won't get you fired, but it is not necessarily a welcome move.

The problem is, not every office has hugging rules. There is not a clear line between sexual harassment and hugging. I guess if it is a male colleague hugging a female one, it is more likely to be seen as "sexual harassment"; but if it is a female staff hugging a man, she can easily get away with it by just saying she didn't mean to offend.

Therefore, there must be some rules for hugging in the office.

#1, the most important rule of hugging at work is don't hug your boss, as a LinkedIn article suggests. No matter how professional you think it is, it doesn't look professional in the eyes of others. The only exception is, you can hug him/her when you quit.

#2, hug professionally. Many people would advise you to stay professional and don't hug people at work. But if you do, do it professionally, which means you have to pay attention to the following things: first, keep it short. Hug that person for just one or two seconds. Second, keep it Platonic. A Platonic hug means the only parts of your bodies that come in contact are your arms, shoulders and heads. Third, do it in public. Don't hug in the restroom, meeting room or back staircase unless you like being the subject of office gossip. And finally, keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Don't comment on your colleague's smell or talk about the hug afterward.

#3, don't do it every day. This one is difficult for me because I feel like hugging people whenever I am feeling low. I call it "power hug." Many people do it only on special occasions such as getting the job done, getting a promotion or getting a big project. If you feel like hugging your colleagues often, hug those who have been working together with you for a long time.

#4, do it when it's acceptable. For example, someone who did you a big favor, someone who got criticized by the boss, or when you guys finished a project together.

Even though you follow these rules, there are many people who just don't like to be hugged. What should you do? If you are not sure if it is appropriate to hug them, then just don't touch them.

To be honest, as a hugger, I don't hug everyone at work. Once, a colleague approached me with her arms wide open, I immediately picked up a phone and pretended I was calling. My own rule is, if I don't hug you, don't hug me.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.