After recently receiving a friend request from a staff member, I decided to speak with the employee in person to discuss my thoughts on the matter. As I've heard some warning tales from people regarding social networking sites at work, I thought it may not be such a good idea for doctors and employees to be sharing personal communications and photos. I looked for the formal policy about electronic communications between staff at our office, and it was discovered that there was nothing already addressing these issues in the manual. It's often the case that there are clear policies missing when it comes to newer technologies; this is a situation to keep up with going forward.

After reporting to our administrator that we need some written policy, I spoke with Robyn Hankins, an attorney specializing in labor and employment. We enlist Ms. Hankins' help for a variety of purposes, from assisting with terminations to helping us learn new laws, or interpretation of the Family Medial Leave Act. Robyn mentioned that the problem with sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter is that too often the content isn't related to an appropriate professional relationship. The real concern here is that when the breadth of communications between doctor and worker increases, this could create the possibility for harassment or discrimination claims. As an example, imagine a doctor who posts photos of him wearing only swim trunks on vacation. A co-worker who sees these could find them 'provocative,' taking offense and complaining to the company.

This may seem a bit far-fetched, especially to the many doctors who maintain close friendships with their staff members which include happy hours, dinners, and vacations. Still, Ms. Hankins has seen cases in which subordinate employees deliberately invite their boss to be their friend, then promptly peruse the info presented there to look for a way to file suit. Robyn says over ninety percent of harassment cases are initiated by those who are considered 'friends' of the person accused. It's a sad fact, but people do abuse the law in attempts to gain money - sometimes a professional relationship is best left just at that.

A clear policy prohibiting email and social networking between physicians and their staff should also refer a general grievance process at the practice. This process should be used by an employee who feels they are being harassed or discriminated against - even if the problem is on these on-line forums or otherwise away from the workplace. Otherwise, when an employee feels that there is no other means available to end the behavior, the person may want to hold the medical practice accountable. Here is the cause behind the need the clear policy, as these co-workers will bring the problem back to the company when their out-of-work 'friendship' goes bad.

When considering digital communications between physicians and their staff, it becomes clear that it's easy for the proper context to become lost. What may seem innocent at face value can be creatively misconstrued as harassing or suggestive. If you think that these sorts of things just blow over as time progresses, I must remind you that there's a permanent records of every message posted to these networking sites.