Okay here's the situation. I don't know whether I invite these people are not.
As some of you know I'm a home care nurse, so I go from house to house visiting patients everyday Monday-Friday. I've built relationships with my patients, some more so than others, 1 in particular I could almost call my family, we even exchange gifts at Christmas (they spoil me like crazy) and when they go on vacation every year they usually bring something back for me (which is incredibly thoughtful).
This family in particular I see because I help take care of their son who has Cerebral Palsy. They are the first patients I see every weekday morning and I'll see them 3 times a week around dinner hour.
I'm not inviting any of my co-workers to the wedding, or any of my patients, however I'm torn about this 1 particular family.
We (myself and the boys parents) discuss hot topics, the wedding (they are always asking how the planning if going) and local events, I guess you could say we've become friends.
So.. I don't know whether to invite them. I know there's no way any of my other patients would know I invited these people, since none of my patients know of any other patients I see for confidentiality reasons, but I'm worried that one way or another my office would find out. How? I have no idea but with my luck they could and doing things outside of my job with patients or their families is against employment "rules".
I feel like if I didn't invite these people they would be deeply hurt and thats the last thing I want to do.
I'm Torn. Help!
Re: Torn...
From the way it sounds they treat you very well and would love to come to your wedding. I am sure they will have no problem not saying anything. But then again you always run the risk of someone finding out and catching wind of it. You would definitely be taking a risk.
could you ask your boss if this would violate company policy? i know i would be nervous about breaking any sort of rule and would prefer to know one way or the other if this was a no-no. perhaps if you have a big HR department, you could ask someone in HR that you are comfortable with who knows company policy?
assuming there is no company policy banning things like this, i don't think there is anything wrong with not inviting co-workers and inviting this family. you should invite who you are closest to, and it really sounds like you have developed a bond with this family.
I'm going to go with not inviting them. We had clients in assisted living last quarter in nursing school that we were helping to care for - and we weren't even allowed to accept ANY gifts or cards or anything from them nor give them any sort of cards - not even a personal Thank you card.
They're really stressing how tangled things can become if things are kept strictly professional.
As others have said, you could check with HR - and see what their opinion is. I'm not answering from my human side - just my "this is what they're forcing down our throats in nursing school" side
I personally wouldn't worry about it. If you want them there, I would invite them. But I work at a company that is pretty laid back, so maybe my viewpoint is skewed. I just can't imagine a company reprimanding an employee for inviting someone to their wedding. It seems like there are so many bigger issues to worry about (plus seems unlikely they would even know).