Why do men get handshakes and women get hugs? Don't do it! -Stephen Viscusi on WCBS

Why Do Men Get Handshakes and Women Get Hugs? Don't Do It!

In this CBS 2 News segment reported by Marcia Kramer, workplace expert Stephen Viscusi weighs in on the controversy surrounding Mayor de Blasio's greeting of women legislators in Albany. Viscusi's message is direct: hugging women in a professional setting is inappropriate — and it was inappropriate long before the Me Too movement brought the issue into the national spotlight.

As Viscusi points out in the segment, there is no reason a woman should be pulled into an intimate embrace in a business environment. Men in the same setting receive handshakes, and the double standard sends a clear message about how women are perceived in professional spaces. The segment also notes the added health concern during a severe flu season, making unnecessary physical contact a practical risk on top of a cultural one.

Workplace Etiquette in the Post-Me Too Era

The question of appropriate physical greetings in professional settings is one that Viscusi has addressed repeatedly throughout his career as a recruiter and workplace commentator. His advice is simple and consistent: when in doubt, offer a handshake. It is professional, universally understood, and respectful of personal boundaries regardless of gender.

The broader issue, as Viscusi sees it, goes beyond any single greeting. It is about the unconscious signals that leaders send through their behavior. When a male executive hugs female colleagues but shakes hands with male ones, it creates a visible distinction that undermines the professionalism of the women involved — even when no harm is intended. In industries built on relationships and trust, like contract furniture and commercial interiors, these signals matter enormously because they shape how people are perceived by clients, colleagues, and leadership.

Setting the Tone as a Leader

Viscusi has spent over three decades advising companies on hiring, culture, and retention, and he consistently emphasizes that workplace culture starts at the top. The way leaders greet people, conduct meetings, and interact with their teams sets the standard for everyone in the organization. A leader who is careless about boundaries — even in seemingly small ways like a greeting — gives implicit permission for others to be careless as well.

For professionals at every level, the takeaway is straightforward: treat everyone with the same level of professional respect, keep physical greetings appropriate and consistent, and be aware that your behavior is always being observed — by colleagues, by clients, and by the people who will one day decide whether to hire or promote you.

About Stephen Viscusi and The Viscusi Group

Stephen Viscusi is the CEO and founder of The Viscusi Group, a retainer-based executive search firm that specializes in the interior furnishings industry. He started his career at Haworth and has spent over thirty years placing talent across the contract furniture, residential furnishings, and architectural products sectors. Viscusi is also the New York Times bestselling author of On the Job (Random House) and Bulletproof Your Job (HarperCollins), published in 18 languages worldwide.

On television, Viscusi has been a recurring workplace expert on NBC/Universal's Steve Harvey Show, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and NPR. ABC's Charles Gibson called him "America's Workplace Guru."

Contact us at stephen@viscusigroup.com or call (212) 979-5700.