That's not on policy

At my place of employment, they implemented a policy about 2 years ago telling us that we cannot accept gifts from vendors. That means no free lunches, no pens, paper, mouse pads, gift baskets, etc. We were told that if a company wanted to, they could donate money to the hospital, but any and all gifts are prohibited.

Now, y'all know from my previous blogs just how ridiculous the people I work with are. Over the last two years, we've complied with the policy...mostly. The last 2 holiday seasons, Dr. MF has had a company bring us lunch - usually the Friday before Christmas - and she'd call it our Christmas party. She has also allowed a handful of vendors - ones that she deemed worthy - to bring lunch on days when her brother is working. THAT is not on policy.

Dr. MF is also squatting in our office. Yes, you heard me right. Squatting. She keeps all of her practice charts and equipment in our office, uses our exam rooms to see her patients, uses our phone lines and DOESN'T PAY RENT! How does she get away with this, you ask? Well, she is on the board of the hospital and is a special assistant to the president of the hospital. That apparently allows her special privileges that other physicians do not receive. On top of all of this, she pays MY office manager to work for her - billing, scheduling, etc. - and pays her on top of what she makes through my employer. My manager does the majority of her work for Dr. MF while she is "on the clock" with the hospital.Can you say double dipping? Now, I understand that my manager is a salaried employee, but I'm sure they wouldn't be happy about what she is doing if they'd get off their asses and investigate the complaint my co-worker filed. THAT is definitely not on policy.

Dr. MF has made the PA's and the RN do things that are WAY out of their scope of practice - like taking call and making medical decisions for patients so they don't bother her brother. She uses threats and intimidation to get them to do what she wants them to do. THAT is definitely not on policy.

So, you'd think with all the occasional "adjustments" she makes to policy, she would also make that exception at Christmas time when a vendor sends the employees in the office gift baskets at Christmas. I received one, the nurse received one as well as my manager. It was a small basket with a bottle of wine, cheese, crackers, chocolates and fruitcake. When Dr. MF saw the basket sitting on the RN's desk she asked if it came from a vendor. When the RN replied that yes, it had come from a vendor, MF flipped her lid. Seriously. Dr. MF immediately got on the phone with the vendor and proceeded to tell him (via a voice mail message because he was with a customer)he was in violation of our vendor policy and that his company was no longer allowed in our clinic until this violation was taken care of. How do they take care of it? Yeah, he has to come pick up the baskets and THEN he'll be allowed to resume business with our practice. Uh-huh. You heard me right. We have to give them back.

This all went down before our lunch break. We went to lunch - phone lines are forwarded and doors are closed - and when we went back to work at 1, Dr. MF left to go to a meeting and said she wasn't coming back to the office. About and hour after she left, said vendor appeared at the desk, slightly shaking, paled and highly apologetic. We told him no worries, that Dr. MF was gone and that WE appreciated the thought, but that we had to give the gift baskets back to him.

You know what he did?

He said "Ok, I'll tell Dr. MF that I picked them up. I'm really, really sorry for the trouble I caused." He then proceeded to pick up, and then set down, each and every basket and then mumbled "I'll just have to make sure to get your home addresses next Christmas."

I chuckled and thought "Oh good, I don't have to lie. He did pick up the baskets..."