Digital boundaries: social media, messaging, and work chat groups

Sexual harassment can occur online as well as in person. In pharmacy practice it may take the form of inappropriate messages in work chat groups, direct messages, social media posts, late-night contact, memes, emojis, images, or repeated unwanted digital contact with a sexual element. Conduct linked to work can be workplace harassment even if it happens outside normal hours or on personal devices.

Online behaviour still counts

Digital communication often feels informal, but professional boundaries remain. A late-night message, a sexual joke in a work group, persistent personal messages after no response, or sexualised comments on social media can cause discomfort, pressure, or humiliation.

• Work-related chat groups matter: WhatsApp groups, Messenger groups, and similar work spaces are governed by professional standards.
• Private accounts do not remove responsibility: social media behaviour can affect colleagues, workplace culture, and professional trust.
• "Jokes" can still be harmful: memes, comments, gifs, emojis, and sexual humour may be unwanted and offensive even if presented as a joke.

Common digital boundary problems

Problems arise when people blur work communication and personal contact. This is more likely in younger teams, in informal messaging cultures, or where digital communication is constant and unmonitored.

Examples may include:

• sending repeated personal or flirtatious messages after work
• commenting sexually on photos or appearance
• sharing sexual jokes, memes, or images in a work group
• pressuring someone to respond privately outside the group chat
• using disappearing messages or private channels after someone has shown discomfort
• continuing contact after a person has said no, asked for it to stop, or stopped engaging

Professional expectations online

Pharmacy professionals must act online as they would in person: treat colleagues with respect, maintain appropriate boundaries, challenge poor conduct when safe to do so, and remember that privacy settings do not guarantee content will stay private.

If digital behaviour connected to work feels sexual, pressuring, or unwanted, do not dismiss it as humour or private messaging. Preserve evidence where possible and raise the concern through the correct workplace route rather than leaving the person to manage it alone.

Professional boundaries apply online as well as face to face. If digital behaviour connected to work is unwanted and sexual in nature, treat it seriously, keep evidence where possible, and report it through the right route.