Should workers be banned from having an OnlyFans account?

Nurses across New South Wales were recently cautioned about having an account on OnlyFans, an online subscription platform widely used for publishing explicit adult content.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of NSW delivered an email to nurses and midwives telling them that having an account there could be a potential case against professional standards, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

"If a practitioner is the content creator, then being recognised or publishing photographs in uniform, they could be reported for their conduct – deemed by the complainant as unprofessional, or as one said, a distraction for patients," the email said.

The council cited the social media guidance on employees' obligations to "maintain professional boundaries," stressing that the Nursing and Midwifery Board can consider social media use in private life if it raises concerns about a nurse or a midwife's fitness to hold registration.

Potential workplace concerns

In the same email, the council noted the possibility of various OnlyFans-related situations that could prompt workplace concerns.

In one instance, a senior manager could recognise a junior from her OnlyFans page and give her preferential rostering.

"He later sends her messages on her Onlyfans account asking for the favour to be returned. The nurse reports him to the regulator," the email said.

In another example, a nurse could be promoting their OnlyFans page at work to patients and colleagues, which the council said could create conflict within the workplace.

A workplace colleague could also recognise a nurse from their OnlyFans page and could get them reported if the colleague believes the practice is "below the expected standards or a registered nurse," according to the council's email.

The council then called on nurses and midwives to review the professional code of conduct, while also encouraging conversations among team members regarding the potential workplace scenarios.

Proactive measures

The email came as the council said recent attention has been drawn to practitioners subscribing to OnlyFans.

The Herald also received confirmation from the Healthcare Complaints Commission that it "received complaints relating to health practitioners' use of OnlyFans."

The council then told the Herald that it is "proactively informing practitioners of current trends and promoting compliance with professional standards, including how inappropriate conduct on social media can lead to complaints of unprofessional conduct or misconduct."

The Fair Work Commission's unfair dismissals benchbook states employers have the right to extend supervision over private activities of employees "only in exceptional circumstances."

"In cases involving out of hours conduct, it is not sufficient for the employer to simply assert that the conduct will in some way affect the employer's reputation or compromise the employee's capacity to perform his or her duties, there needs to be evidentiary material upon which a firm finding may be made," the benchbook said.

Reactions

The Herald reported that some nurses felt their behaviour was being policed, with one saying they found the email "very moralising and slut-shaming."

Anna Boucher, an associate professor of public policy and comparative politics at the University of Sydney, told The Guardian in a separate report that the council's statement was "unreasonable."

"Unless they are a really important figure in the hospital, I don’t really understand why it matters. Does anyone who has a role where other people might see them have to create an alternate reality to be accepted in the workplace?" Boucher told The Guardian.