Nurses selling at work?

[Emergent]

What do you think of nursing soliciting at work for things like Mary Kay, and other businesses like that? Is it appropriate to do so during work time?

We have a per diem nurse in our department. Her main gig is Mary Kay and she supplements her income with nursing. She has recruited people at work, and is constantly promoting May Kay while working, hopefully not with patients, but most certainly at the nurses station.

Some people are annoyed by it, others like it and have signed on. What do you think?

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

What is a gender announcement party?

Like a baby shower but when the parents-to-be announce whether they are having a boy or a girl. Often a neutral colored cake that when cut is pink or vanilla for a girl, or blue or chocolate for a boy. Just another reason to have a party & solicit gifts.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

Oh, well that was one of the few options I thought of. Thanks.

[nurse3131, RN]

I think it is annoying! specially when people at work wants to "celebrate" birthdays at work and make up a list of stuff we are suppose to bring. Once the list gets to me everyone picked the cheapest stuff (soda, napkins, etc) and I get stuck buying the 10 dollars fried chicken or tray of veggies etc... then other co-workers that do not bring anything come and eat too!!! I do not mind helping out for school stuff but it gets very aggravating when I get asked every other day for them!

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

That said, I was at an MD appointment this past winter when I saw a fund-raising poster in the exam room. Apparently, they were raising money for an employee who had chronic pain and high medical expenses. I took it down, threw it away, and told the MD; it's totally inappropriate in a patient care area.

You were in your Dr office when you did this? You have no right to do something like that. That is his office and his property that you destroyed. If the MD has no problem with the poster in his office, then what gives you the right to of what you did? Sure don't like it, tell him so but destroy it. Not your place or right to do that.

[Laurie52]

[quote=

That said, I was at an MD appointment this past winter when I saw a fund-raising poster in the exam room. Apparently, they were raising money for an employee who had chronic pain and high medical expenses. I took it down, threw it away, and told the MD; it's totally inappropriate in a patient care area. .

Why would do that? Why not just ignore it? Maybe there are patients who know this individual and would want to contribute.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

Putting up donation posters in your exam room? Last time I would likely frequent that provider. That's just inappropriate. Not cool tearing it down though.

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

Doing one job while at another is unethical. It is cause for termination and rightfully so. You are being paid to do one job. Putting your time into another job results in direct losses to productivity. If a coworker tried to sell me Mary Kay at work, I would go straight to HR. It is covered in HR orientation. Usually, they'll warn an employee and not terminate them outright. It is considered worse than say, trading stocks because that at least only distracts you and not your coworkers from primary duties.

That said, unobtrusive fundraising is usually overlooked because it can build team spirit without being too distracting.

Soliciting patients might be considered grounds for the BON to have a chat.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

That said, I was at an MD appointment this past winter when I saw a fund-raising poster in the exam room. Apparently, they were raising money for an employee who had chronic pain and high medical expenses. I took it down, threw it away, and told the MD; it's totally inappropriate in a patient care area.

I can understand making a comment to the doctor, but I think throwing it away crosses the line. It's not your office, it's not your exam room.

At any rate, again, I think soliciting while on the clock is inappropriate, but hanging a flier in the break room is totally okay. Every break room I've ever frequented has had a bulletin board specifically for announcements of a non-work related nature, because we are human beings and have lives outside of work, and not automatons who go into our lockers and power down between shifts. Some places have a policy that you have to get approval from a manager to post anything on the bulletin board, while some are more casual. To the OP, I think it's inappropriate for your coworker to solicit for Mary Kay while on the clock.

[toomuchbaloney]

If the practice is damaging the attitude or morale of the teams it should be stopped by administrative action.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

That's the thing, you likely can't voice your discomfort even to HR without it coming out as who 'tattled'.

You know not every workplace is a big employer like a metro hospital.

My place is roughly 10 in the management team

I really have no issues with fliers, sign ups in the breakroom in general.

I am put off by those actively peddling or collecting for their cause on work time.

I am also put off by the inequity of 'life event' happenings done for staff. It is usually the nurses or administration getting them. We have other tiers of workers' events not acknowledged.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

You were in your Dr office when you did this? You have no right to do something like that. That is his office and his property that you destroyed. If the MD has no problem with the poster in his office, then what gives you the right to of what you did? Sure don't like it, tell him so but destroy it. Not your place or right to do that.

It was at the local hospital, which has plenty of other places ro hang fund-raising posters. The doc had no idea it was there.

[DeeAngel]

I believe there should be a zero tolerance policy of this sort of nonsense in the workplace. You want to sell you do it on your own time, off hospital grounds. It's ridiculous, inappropriate and unprofessional. I don't work as an employee to be a resource for fundraising, or provide an alternative income stream to others. Never mind that I can always buy far better quality things for much less elsewhere.

Everywhere I go anymore someone has their hand out; they upsell everywhere, have tip jars for people who only hand me what I've paid for, solicit by phone to the point where I no longer answer my phone. They harass me at the register to open cards at predatory rates to "save 10%" off some cheap purchase or ask for donations to the cause de jour. Never mind the worthless "service" warranties they shill. Now the workplace isn't even free from this crap. I have had it up to my eyeballs with this nonsense. The first time I say no politely, after that I'm not so nice. Enough is enough, I don't believe I'm the only one who feels this way.

Shilling and hawking stuff at work is only another line in a long, long list of money grubbing behavior that annoys the hell out of people.