Why is it important to know the boundaries of your work role and responsibility?

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All formal working relationships need rapport and trust to function well. This is particularly relevant to the relationship between a client and their care worker.

It is certainly important that the care worker makes sure clients feel at ease with approaching and relating to them – but it is equally important that the lines don’t become blurred.

The relationship between an individual and their care worker should never come at the expense of maintaining clear professional boundaries. Successful and ethical working relationships are based on a clear understanding of what the workers’ role is – and just as importantly – what their role isn’t.

What is a professional boundary?

Professional boundaries are limits which protect the space between a worker’s professional power and their client’s vulnerability. Problems for care workers that can arise if these boundaries aren’t maintained are:

• Becoming overly involved or attached to a client
• Showing exceptional behaviour towards a client
• Being emotionally entangled or showing fluid work/home boundaries
• Disclosure of personal information of the client by the worker, including excessive self- disclosure
• Considering the client to be a ‘friend’ or allowing the client to have that view

Professional boundaries are complex and often contentious subject because they relate to our personal values. They are experientially, culturally and historically influenced – and they change over time. Although we may talk about what’s ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and that we should use ‘common sense’, it’s not always clear cut. For example, a care worker might feel it’s rude not to accept a gift, even though it is the policy of Mable that gifts should not be accepted.

Appropriate relationships with vulnerable clients are those which recognise that we provide personal services and as such we have enormous power over their lives.

In all our relationships we set limits. One of the key issues for workers is to be able to recognise when we may be crossing the invisible line which separates a client from a worker and which defines our relationship as professional and therefore workable.

Providing care to clients with disabilities (physical, intellectual, mental health, or neurological) raises many challenges for care workers. The role of the care worker can mean that you are in many intimate situations with clients and their friends and families. You may have access to private or confidential information. You may also encounter situations where you are confronted with needs, requests or demands for services or support that are not your role as care worker.

The information provided in this article is aimed to provide practical information on some of the key ethical and boundary issues in providing support in the community.

Qualities of a Good Support Worker

The qualities of a good worker are many and varied. Everyone brings different strengths to their role, different values, beliefs and practical knowledge and skills. But there are some key skills areas that make workers more effective, for example:

• Ability to listen and understand
• Good communication skills
• Interest in helping people
• Willingness to collaborate and consult with others
• Ability to accept and respect the choices of other people
• Respect for different needs, values, beliefs, culture
• Commitment to increasing independence and capability in others
• Ability to share knowledge and skills but not to take over
• Having a positive attitude
• Being aware of realistic goals and limitations – making sure you understand each person and their strengths, needs, goals and support needs
• Consistency and ability to follow through
• Professional – human, friendly, but not needy or dependant

Why do we Need Ethical Standards?

Ethics are the beliefs that we hold about what constitutes the right conduct in a particular situation or job. We need to have a sound ethical framework to provide good quality care and to protect the rights of individuals who are aged or with a disability, especially those who may be more vulnerable.

Some people will have limited ability to evaluate the quality of care provided to them by workers, to communicate their concerns or complaints. Individuals themselves may also lack awareness that their behaviour and expectations places demands on workers to do things that are not appropriate or in their role.

Ethical guidelines are important in providing a safe and clear working environment for workers in assisting them to provide effective and goal-directed services and support.

Simply, they tell everyone what is expected of them in the performance of their work. They also ensure that individuals providing services have adequate training, skills, knowledge or expertise to provide the services that they are offering in the community.

Privacy

All clients have a right to privacy in their personal information, and workers should not seek information that is not relevant or necessary to the performance of their duties. Care workers also have a right to privacy, and these boundaries will often need to be set with clients and families who may seek personal information about you, or want to have a relationship with a worker.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality means that any information obtained or received by workers must be kept absolutely confidential, except with the written or verbal consent of the individual with a disability or their legal guardian. Workers must not discuss or disclose confidential information with anyone without this permission. It is expected that workers will sometimes need to discuss matters with co-workers, peers or supervisors but this should always be in an appropriate and respectful way.

Duty of Care

Care workers have a duty of care to anyone who might reasonably be affected by their activities, requiring them to act in a way that does not expose others to an unreasonable risk of harm – physical, psychological or financial. As a worker you are required to protect an individual from risks of injury or harm that you can foresee or anticipate. This means you are required to act with a knowledge of the individual (particularly about their disability and their living situation), and of your own abilities, knowledge and limitations. You should not give assistance or advice outside your role or expertise (e.g. financial advice, family counselling or relationship advice).

Friendships

The role of a care worker is to build, support and strengthen the existing social, family and community network of a person with a disability or who is aged. The role of a friend is different from the role of worker and constitutes a conflict of interest in doing your job.

Care workers may find this difficult as clients are often isolated, lonely and in need of friends, but it is the role of a care worker to build friendships, not to be the friendship.

Similarly, relationships with client family members are also not appropriate and risks blurring the boundaries of your professional relationship.

Be careful not to include clients in your social or family life and activities.

An inappropriate relationship with a client or family member has risks for workers including:

• Increasing/or unreasonable demands and expectations from the client or family
• High worker stress and burnout
• Inability to provide professional and objective support
• Difficulty setting limits and dealing with behaviour
• Distress when relationships break down
• Grief and loss for clients when workers leave

Gifts

Occasionally clients and family members may offer gifts to workers as a “thank-you” for work done, for example, chocolates, flowers, cards etc. We may not want to refuse a small token gift and cause offence. However acceptance of gifts should always be considered with caution, particularly gifts of money or expensive items. You can always respond “Your thanks is enough – this is my job.”

Be aware of Mable’s policy on acceptance of gifts – you are not allowed to accept them under our terms and conditions for clients who hire you through the platform.

Employees have a lot of different kinds of relationships in the workplace. Dealing with managers, colleagues, different departments, partners, prospects and customers can be challenging, especially if employees don’t set boundaries for themselves. Healthy boundaries ensure everyone is aware of what you consider acceptable behavior. While individuals can set up their own boundaries, business owners and leaders should also set up boundaries for the workplace.

Boundaries in the workplace ensure everyone can thrive. Without boundaries, employees may feel stressed, angry, confused or resentful. Having strong relationships with people at work starts with defining the kind of behavior that is suitable for the environment. According to Mind Body Green, there are several different types of boundaries you should be aware of:

• Time boundaries: This is especially important in the workplace, otherwise employees may over-commit their time. Employees should understand that their time is valuable, so they should not dedicate it to things that are contrary to their role or job description. It’s critical to prioritize your tasks and have the ability to say no when you are not able to commit time to something else. Respect time boundaries by showing up on time for meetings, not asking for free labor and understanding that employees have commitments outside of work.
• Intellectual boundaries: In the workplace, employees may deal with colleagues who have different ways of doing things or different solutions to problems. In some cases, they may disagree with an idea or process. It’s important for employees to understand that they can have a respectful discussion with a colleague if they disagree intellectually regarding something at work. They should also know that they have the right to walk away from unhealthy conversations where people are expressing prejudice against others.
• Material boundaries: Has an employee ever complained that someone took their lunch from the fridge or that their work boots have gone missing? This is a case of material boundaries being violated. Make sure your employees are aware that they cannot infringe upon another person’s property. They can also say no if they are not comfortable with someone borrowing their things.
• Physical boundaries: Each person has different physical limits, and this is especially important to note for physically demanding jobs. Some people can be on their feet for longer than others, while some have difficulty sitting for hours at a time. Respect employees' physical boundaries and provide them with breaks to change their position if they need it. It’s also important to not invade anyone’s physical space, such as by hugging them unexpectedly.
• Emotional boundaries: Work is stressful for many employees, and they have strong feelings about specific aspects of work. Avoid dismissing an employee’s feelings if they choose to share some feedback with you. Invite employees to be honest about their feedback. Employees should know that their feelings are valid and they have permission to share them with others at work.

One of the most advantageous benefits of setting boundaries is that there are clear expectations, according to Corporate Communication Experts. When employees know what is considered acceptable at work, they are much more likely to meet those expectations. If the boundaries around specific things are not clear, they may unintentionally make a mistake. For example, time boundaries are of the utmost importance at work. If your work hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and an employee continuously sets meetings for 6:30 p.m., they are violating the time boundaries you have set for your business.

However, if you have not made it clear that you do not want to attend meetings in the evening after work hours, then they won't know you find this unacceptable. While setting clear boundaries can involve uncomfortable conversations, it’s important to have them early on so that it is clear to all employees what you expect.

Clear and effective communication is imperative in the workplace. Boundaries can help to significantly reduce misunderstandings because they act as a set of rules and guidelines. For example, an employee’s performance review may include some difficult conversations if they have not been meeting standards. However, with emotional boundaries in place, employees feel more comfortable sharing the difficulties they have been having, while managers are more understanding and don’t dismiss negative feedback.

Arguments and disagreements can also be reduced with boundary setting in the workplace. If two employees are disputing about a process they want to implement, they need to know they can have a calm and collected discussion if it’s clear that intellectual boundaries are important and respected in the workplace.

Setting boundaries at work helps employees connect more with each other. When there are fewer stressful disagreements and uncomfortable conversations, employees are more likely to feel fulfilled at work. Encourage employees to also set their coworker relationship boundaries for what they deem acceptable. For example, an employee may conduct all their calls on speaker phone and disturb the whole office. If it is clear to them that their coworkers find that unacceptable, they may change their behavior.

Setting boundaries with your boss is also vital in the workplace, and employees should know they have the ability to do that. As a business owner and leader, you can also help your subordinates set their own boundaries, as many may not feel comfortable bringing it up with a superior. For example, if you need an employee to work overtime, don’t make it a mandatory situation. Ask them if they have the time on the weekend to dedicate to work or if they have family commitments instead. Showing this respect for their boundaries will help them make an extra effort in the workplace.

Similarly, if an employee requests time off for personal reasons, don’t ask them to justify their time off if they have the available vacation or personal days. You can violate people’s emotional boundaries by making them feel guilty for taking things they are already owed.

At work, processes and procedures ensure that tasks get done right. With clear boundaries in place, your business can improve upon your processes and procedures even further. Creating structure is an important part of boundary setting, according to Forbes.

For example, if your workplace constantly has meetings that run over time without getting anything accomplished, set up the expectation that each meeting needs to have an agenda with time allotments for each topic. Similarly, if your business has an inaccurate inventory count, set boundaries for how employees need to calculate stock orders so that you know exactly how much product you have at any given time.

Boundaries in the workplace help to increase overall efficiency. There are fewer mistakes, project derailments and missed deadlines because expectations are clear and employees are encouraged to communicate openly and honestly. With stronger relationships with their managers and colleagues, employees are more satisfied, so it is likely there is less turnover and absenteeism. Boundaries ensure everyone feels respected at work and is able to state what is considered acceptable behavior. Businesses can increase productivity and meet customer demands more effectively once they set boundaries for the workplace and encourage staff to set individual boundaries as well.