The answer is, yes and no. While 'you look nice today' may sound (and be intended as) innocent, it still has the potential to make a colleague feel uncomfortable. Firstly, this statement is much more likely to be directed at a female colleague than a male. Workplace sexism rule no.
In the workplace, a person's appearance is irrelevant — unless individual dress violates the company's dress code. When someone walks into work with an eye-catching dress, you might feel motivated to applaud them. Similarly, if someone walks into work looking exhausted, you might ask them how they are doing.
While a welcomed compliment may be a tool for social bonding, a poorly paid, even if well-intentioned, compliment about one's appearance has the opposite effect. At best, an unwanted compliment can make a work environment an uncomfortable place. At worst, it can be sexual harassment.
A compliment should not make someone feel threatened or uncomfortable. Gender should have no bearing on a workplace compliment. Appropriate compliments are those that could be delivered to either a man or a woman, such as complimenting a job well done.
As per their study, light-hearted flirtation and banter among colleagues is benign and can, in fact, help relieve stress in workers. But one needs to be careful. There's a fine line between casual flirting and sexual harassment. You certainly don't want to come across as creepy.
It's not a normal thing to say to a colleague, It has nothing to do with work, It might convey a sexual/romantic interest, and she might interpret this as harassment.
When you make eye contact with them, they'll probably smile or even give you a little wave. This is a huge indication that they're flirting with you, not just being friendly. Someone who didn't mean to catch your eye will probably glance away quickly or look down at the floor.
A coworker who likes you will show genuine curiosity about your personal life. They may ask questions about your hobbies, interests, or weekend plans. They want to get to know you on a more personal level and show an interest in the things that matter to you.
Do: Use friendliness and charisma to build rapport with coworkers–men and women–by smiling, joking and showing enthusiasm. Don't: Appear as is you're trying too hard. If you don't have internal confidence, it will show. Start by flirting outside of the office to get more comfortable.
"The lesson of today is," Dr Desta continued, "you should never make an evaluative judgement or comment on another person's appearance. Especially one that is purely based on your opinion."
Be kind and consider the other person's feelings, but be firm in explaining that the relationship is one of mutual respect based on the fact that you are co-workers and does not go beyond a professional friendship. There is nothing wrong with having feelings of attraction to another person.
Dressing smartly, being clean and having good personal hygiene, and carrying yourself well is all part of making a strong first impression and appearing professional. Regardless of how you might feel about it, you will constantly be evaluated and re- evaluated by the people around you, particularly by employers.
Keep things professional, even when flirting. You can be flirtatious without touching her at all. Eye contact, smiles, and glances are just as effective as touching but don't come with the possibility of coming off too forward or behaving inappropriately. You might also compliment her work ethic.
Simply telling a girl that she's beautiful can certainly be flattering, but there may also be greater compliments a person can bestow with their words. Rather than simply telling a person that they're beautiful, mention smaller aspects of their beauty, such as their smile or behavior, that you are attracted to.
If a female coworker is flirting with you, it is the most significant sign that she likes you. She often compliments your shirt, your smile, or your style. Playfully teasing you seems to be her favorite pastime. She drops hints about getting together with you.
Receiving compliments on your looks, getting a flirty text message, a smile across the room or a random hug may feel great if it comes from the right person at the right time. These all are instances of flirting but the same text or the same compliment might get creepy and annoying if you get it from the wrong person.