Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway today said she has to apologise to everyone she's ever sent an email or text message, after a legal case earlier this week. The TV star was taking part in a discussion on ITV over whether it is ever appropriate to put XX on a work email.
The discussion followed an employment tribunal this week where a woman claimed her boss had sexually harassed her by putting XX on a message to her. The tribunal ruled she had misconstrued the message and she lost the hearing.
The debate on ITV this morning heard that some consider it appropriate to add XXs to an email or text - seeing it as a friendly and not a sexual gesture.
Others believe messages to work colleagues should always be professional and use 'neutral' sign-offs.
Broadcaster Neev Spencer said: "If you're working with someone, if there's someone of the same sex and they're a friend, fine - put a kiss, put two kisses.
"But if it's someone in a position authority it's just weird. Putting two kisses is really bizarre, three means 'it's on'."
Neev said on a professional message 'it's so inappropriate to put a kiss'. She said: "Everyone needs to be a little bit more responsible in the way we end an email."
She said kisses on a work email are 'suggestive'
Joining the debate, Kate said: "We have got inappropriate now. I'm going to have to issue an apology to everyone I've ever texted or emailed. If you've ever got one from me I always put an 'x' at the end."
Comedian and author Sadia Azmat says she often adds kisses to messages - 'sometimes on autopilot, sometimes trying to be friendly'.
Host Ben Shephard says he puts kisses on all work emails. He said: £There's nothing in it from my perspective."
And he said he gets 'angry' with emails from his brother which always end 'kind regards' because 'it's not personal enough'.
Neeve said: "Would you kiss that person in real life?"
Taking to Twitter to discuss the debate, Stephanie wrote: "Omg, hubby watched this and said in shock, I didn’t know it was kisses! I always put a ‘X’ after a message or email, I thought it was a way of ending a message instead of just putting ‘H’ (his name is Henry) Now sending apologies to electric company, lawyer, garage, dentist..."
Adrian Toomes added: "It depends on who you're sending the message to, if they're a close friend/colleague then don't see issue if it's your boss...maybe not."
Jacqui Pidgeon said: "I send a x to most people on a text it just shows I'm being friendly its in no way a come on."
