Essay 4: Work Role Boundaries
Rachel used to work with Aleia, a young woman with a disability who struggled with alcohol addiction. She has not worked with Aleia for more than a year, as her case was transferred to another worker when she moved to another area. One of Rachel’s colleagues tells her that she saw Aleia at the local shops with her mother recently and Aleia was heavily pregnant. Rachel looks for Aleia on Facebook and sees that her profile picture is of her newborn baby.
But her page is locked down with all privacy settings and there is nothing else to discover. She also looks up the boyfriend and some other friends and family members whose names she can remember. Rachel is worried that Aleia could have started drinking again during her pregnancy. She looks through the computer system and finds Aleia’s phone number and address. She wants to make sure both Aleia and the baby are okay, so after work she drives to Aleia’s home.
- Do you think Rachel has overstepped her work role boundaries? Explain your answer, including Rachel’s responsibilities as a worker and Aleia’s rights as a client.
- Explain the responsibility of an organization when it comes to their employees maintaining proper work role boundaries.
