TOUCHING DO'S		. . .AND DON'TS
Touch a workmate's arm Touch for up to 3 seconds Lightly touch the point of their elbow Nod as you do it		Touch their cheek or back Linger any longer than that Touch their hand (except for handshakes) Take it as a come-on

In this decade we were all supposed to be touchy-feely.

We were supposed to have turned our backs on the 80s rat-race.

We were supposed to be more caring, more sensitive, more open about our feelings.

But even though the 90s have nearly had their day, in most offices if someone gets feely, someone else will probably get pretty touchy.

It's still "not the done thing" for people to touch others of their own sex let alone people from the opposite sex.

Now Australian body language guru Allan Pease is, even as 2000 races towards us, trying to help the British move into the 1990s.

England cricketer Phil Tufnell leads by example, kissing Test newcomer Graeme Swann

He is launching a call for people in the UK's workplaces to start touching each other. It would, he says, improve the atmosphere of the office and could even increase the company's productivity.

Women and gay men are four times as likely to touch when they are communicating than straight men, he is to tell the Institute of Personnel and Development. This helps them communicate better and co-operate with their co-workers.

But the traditional British reserve - seen by many as stand-offishness - puts the country behind any other civilised nation on earth in the touching table.

"It's just not the done thing for a man to touch another man, unless he has just scored a major goal on the football pitch," he said.

"Over 65% of face to face communication is non-verbal and it is the key for us to understand what people are feeling and saying."

Lawyers have warned that it's a fine line between a friendly touch on the elbow and an unwanted sexual advance.

But Mr Pease warns that unless straight men adjust, they could find themselves out in the cold.

"Men really need to get their act together if they are to avoid becoming redundant in the next millennium. Autocratic leadership which is typical of men, is a thing of the past.