Saturday 24 October 2009

Swine Flu Fears at the Workplace


Swine Flu Fears at the Workplace
Originally uploaded by malias.

Sometimes well meaning advice can backfire. Recently posters have been appearing in offices all over France admonishing workers not to do la bise, the ritual kissing greeting performed each time you meet a friend or an acquaintance, or even to shake hands. It's feared that virtually any kind of pyshical contact with a fellow human being will aid the spread of swine flu.

Instead, workers are urged to offer hand gestures from a safe distance. The peace sign, the two finger victory sign or the thumbs up. In an admittedly unscientific survey I've found that not a single person is taking these warnings seriously. In fact they consider them ridiculous. It clearly isn't working. Time to rethink strategy.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

In my workplace the bises have become a weapon, and a tool to demonstrate power. In the dense politique that existes in French government establishments you still get the bises if you're a political ally - if you're somehow out of favour, the non-offering of les bises is a handy rebuke, which hides behind worries about contamination.
Either way you just don't know!
Most disconcerting.

Gideon said...

Very interesting Andy. Thanks for your comment.

seema gupta said...

interesting....

regards