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Ok, I don't work in corporate office or anything of that nature. I work at a grocery store in the delicatessen department. When I came out of the bathroom my manager was nearby, and I was scratching my nose, not picking my nose just scratching it due to allergies.

My manager told me to stop it, and I didn't know what she was referring to, and kept scratching my nose, and she hit me in the back of the arm for it, and moved my hand off of my nose from it. She laughed, and I laughed since I realized what she was talking about, but am I in the wrong for thinking that manager shouldn't hit an employee even if it was "joking" "playing around" for something like that?

I guess manager just in tense mood since we have health inspection coming up soon.

I was thinking of reporting this, but this has happened before with two co workers, one was spreading rumors about team leader being an alcoholic, and team leader heard about this came in drunk (non work day) and laid her hands on said employee, for spreading said rumors. Team leader didn't get written up for it.

Seems like reporting it would be moot, and not change anything.

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    "I did not realise that you meant me stopping to itch my nose; of course, I would have stopped immediately, had I understood that this is what you mean. You are the boss. However, even as a boss, you cannot hit your employees, under no circumstances. I must ask you to not hit me again." - in very calm voice and demeanour. Of course, you always do what she tells you, as long it is in her reasonable management remit. If that person is an alcoholic, though, this may not help and you will have to make this report (in very analogous fashion) to whoever is her manager/HR.
    – Captain Emacs
    Commented May 24, 2017 at 7:12
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    What's the question exactly ?
    – sh5164
    Commented May 24, 2017 at 7:25
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    Possible duplicate of Office violence
    – Philipp
    Commented May 24, 2017 at 7:39
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    @Philipp i disagree. Grabbing by the neck and kicking down the stairs is different from slapping on the hand in a way that many of us would consider an unacceptable, but still a joke. Especially given that this slap did not leave any mark and in a linked question employee got seriously hurt after really long time of bad things happening.
    – Mołot
    Commented May 24, 2017 at 7:57

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Is it acceptable? Not really. But from your description I'm not sure if it's a grave issue. In stores and factory floors "joking around" or a "light shove" is pretty commonplace. Manners are less formal than in a suit-and-tie environment.

I would suggest first talking to the person and saying that you did not like it and would prefer the manager to not touch you again. Reporting it straight away in this case is 'taking a bazooka to a musquito' as they say here. If the behavior continues despite your explanation, then yes, you should report it.

If however the hit was more severe than you make it sound and was a genuine aggression, then you should report it immediately.

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