I went to a job interview today and stopped in a bathroom down the hall from where it was. As I was washing my hands, this guy opens and walks out of the shitter stall and heads straight out the door. He did not wash his hands after obviously taking a dump. This guy turns out to be the person who interviewed me. I refused to shake his hand or drink out of the coffee cup that he touched. I did not give an explanation. Am I wrong?
2006-07-26 19:02:15 · 25 answers · asked by psychosolodiver 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
No, I think you were totally within your rights to refuse to shake or accept a cup of coffee and not explain why. However, you have to realize that it probably will result in a negative impression on him.
2006-07-26 19:06:40 · answer #1 · answered by Rogue Scrapbooker 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not if you didn't want the job. You could have shook his hand, refused the coffee with and polite no thank you and washed your hand immediately after the interview. You would have been no worse for the wear.
You probably got more germs on your hand just opening the door on the building going into the interview than you would have in shaking his hand.
If things like that really freak you out, as they should to a certain extent, then you might consider getting you some of that antibacterial hand gel to keep with you at all times. Then if you are ever faced with a situation like this again you'll be prepared.
Besides if you do get the job it sounds like you'll need it.
2006-07-26 19:17:06 · answer #2 · answered by SpecialK 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are not wrong. But I would just shake his hand and then wash mine before I touched my face or mouth in order to save the job opportunity. You probably won't get the job now and it's not like the unsanitary recruiter would be working with you anyway. Plus, a random study shows only like 34% of people actually wash their hands. So just say that 2 out of every 3 job interviewer didn't wash. You just happened to see him not wash. I would not have done what you did. But you are not wrong. You made a decision. Good for you. I hope that you do not regret it down the road, though. Good luck finding a job. Best wishes.
2006-07-26 19:56:25 · answer #3 · answered by surfer2966 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could accept the coffee cup and discreetly put it down without drinking from it. Shake his hand and head straight to the bathroom afterward to wash your hand. The problem is that if you get the job, you would work for him and encounter similar situations. I feel sorry for people there because there are times when food is shared (a bag of chips or pretzel where people stick their hands in to grab) and they don't know what they are getting.
2006-07-26 21:24:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You were right not to drink any coffee offered by him of shake hands with him but he does not know why and must be thinking you are a very rude person while you know him to be a very unhygienic one. Do you really want to work with this guy? He will be your boss if you get the job and you will always wonder if he has washed his hands or not every time there has to be any physical contact.
2006-07-26 19:09:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
From a cleanliness/hygiene standpoint, no you weren't wrong. That's just gross!
However, if you really needed the job, or it sounded cool and you really wanted it, you might have just blown your chances by not doing the proper thing and shaking his hand. It really depends on what type of person he is. If he was petty enough to "deduct points" for not shaking his hand, it could have cost you the job. Maybe he's used to it, and you otherwise gave an excellent interview, and in that case, you're still considered for the job.
2006-07-26 23:32:20 · answer #6 · answered by brevejunkie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What was the job position ' Sanitory Inspector' !!! :-)
I think you had to ignore that thing as you don't know whether next you have an interview and other fellow don't wash his hand either and you didn't know abt it then what should you do.. will you ask the interviewer that has he washed or not..
You had to shake hands and then clean it off in your trousers and later wash them with good antiseptic twice.. As germs of hand are bad only if they have direct contact with food, mouth, eyes etc.
So don't you think others people hygine otherwise it will be difficult for you to survice in this world..
All the best for next Interview..
2006-07-26 19:27:53 · answer #7 · answered by heart_intelligence 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not wrong, but you may have hurt your chances for employment. Next time, you might want to suck it up and just wash your hands later, after the interview.n Or you can discretely carry a little antibiotic hand wipe
Donald Trump is one famous man who never shakes hands.
He thinks that it is a barbaric germ-infested practice. I must agree with him.
Handshaking has been around for hundreds of years, to show the other person that you are not carrying a weapon.
This is before they knew about germs and contagion//
I think that you, with your careful health practices, are just ahead of the curve.
2006-07-26 19:49:44 · answer #8 · answered by moonbeamlight1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You weren't wrong in the strictest sense, but it was a no win situation. In refusing to shake his hand or take the coffee cup he offered, you likely will not get the job, however, if you had explained why you didn't do those things, you likely would not get the job either.
2006-07-26 19:07:09 · answer #9 · answered by gahrahstah 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no you are wrong. I hope you get the job though. I think that hand washing is very important. especially from that type of setting. my husband says that alot of guys don't wash their hand, I don't want to shake hands with anyone because of this. This is how disease is spread. maybe we should all start bowing like the Japanese, it would spread less germs.
2006-07-26 19:11:18 · answer #10 · answered by singitoutloudandclear 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋