The advice to companies? Keep it professional and beware unwelcome familiarity
A major high street store is running a campaign this season based on dressing well and being complimented, with actress Gillian Anderson appointed CCO (Chief Compliments Officer).
Personally, I’m a giver not a taker. I enjoy dishing out compliments (when merited), but in a truly British way, I often struggle to accept them. We are conditioned to be modest and self-deprecating.
But what about in the workplace? Compliments at work are a veritable minefield, and as an employment lawyer my instinct is to say, 'proceed with caution'.
Have you ever tried to say something nice to someone in the office and immediately worried you’ve said something dreadful? That foot-in-mouth moment. A simple 'you look nice today' can unleash the sort of panic usually caused by an unexpected 'can we have a catchup?’ email from HR.
On the other hand, have you ever received a 'love that dress on you!' comment from a colleague, and instead of invoking a happy glow, it made you feel a bit icky?
In employment law, innocent intent doesn’t override impact. In other words, you may think you’re being charming but the recipient may feel they’ve been ambushed by an unsolicited character reference on their physical appearance. And that’s enough to land an employer in potential trouble.
Workplace compliments fall generally into two camps:
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