You know, this sort of thing just gets my lawyer juices flowing. I get so peeved when people abuse their positions of power. Here is how I would handle the situation of the boss who calls you names, and tells you are now required to attend WHO Code-non-compliant formula-company functions: (1) As a very practical first step, for any stinky situation like this, you have to take a good, long, deep, introspective look: Ask yourself if you want to battle your boss. Life can be made miserable for an employee -- who is fully within her rights -- who bucks the system. (2) Start (or continue) to be the most unbelievably professional, courteous, and conscientious employee you have ever been. Every contact with colleagues involves a smile. Every chart is filed out on time. You arrive promptly; even stay late. This is not the time to be sneaking peeks at computer games while you're at work. Gather some documents and website info: (3) The IBLCE Code of Ethics (www.iblce.org) does not provide you with any recourse against your boss -- but you certainly should print it out, as it says that you are to be considered a health care practitioner for WHO Code purposes. And as such, you must respect the Code. And as such, you cannot accept -- nor should the forumla companies be offering -- any meals, gifts, trinkets, buttons, cups, sticky pads, lanyards, videos, samples of product, etc. etc. (4) Head over to www.waba.org or www.ibfan.org and print out a copy of the text of the International Codeofmarketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. (5) Look at www.nofreelunch.org which concerns itself with the influence of all drug reps on all medical professionals. (6) Get a copy of your hospital's HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. I contend that having formula reps anywhere on the maternity floor puts the hospital at civil-and-criminal-liability-risk of violation of each patient's protected health information. (7) Pull up the work done in Massachusetts, at www.massbfc.org, on banning formula bags from the hosp. as a violation of perinatal regulations and policy. (8) Keep your eyes peeled on the ILCA web site www.ilca.org -- ILCA is producing a whiz-bang kit for use during World Breastfeeding Week, which this year honors 25 years of protecting BF by honoring the Code. Yes, that is a shameless promo by a Board member, but you can be sure I will be ordering (and paying for) my own kit as soon as it is available the website -- within a month or so. (9) Check with your hospital Quality Assurance or Ethics or Legal or Whatever-Its-Called-At-Your- Hospital Dept. about their policy against influence peddling and health care promotion in the hospital. I am willing to bet there is a lofty policy somewhere about the health care mission and objectives of your organization, including no toleration of conflicts of interest. Nothing persuades better than the opposition's own words. (10) Absolutely pay a visit to your Human Resources Dept., and discuss the hospital's policy of having to work in an environment of harrassment. Being called names by your boss -- in particular, a name historically connected with a shameful period of genocide -- cannot possible be tolerated. I'll bet there is a lofty policy tucked in their files, too. (11) NOW -- make an appointment with your boss, and bring another one of the lactation consultants with you. Tell her it is discuss further her recent directive. At the meeting -- remembering to use Kill-Her-With-Kindness demeanor -- gently lay each and every document onto her desk, as you explain: (a) the IBLCE Ethics Code says you must respect the WHO Code; (b) the WHO Code says HCPs (including, I might add, the boss) should not accept formula marketing gimmickery; (c) as an IBCLC you strive each day to enhance the public health of mothers and babies; (d) this is in keeping with the hopsital's own mission; (e) other entities and states recognize that drug rep. influence on HCPs is damaging to public health; (f) the hospital's own HIPAA compliance mandates that outsiders not have any access to areas where protected health information is likely to be learned; and that, as such, you feel that: (g) your required attendance at an unethical marketing session is not appropriate AND (h) you suffered public humiliation at the earlier meeting, by being name-called and ridiculed for seeking to comply with personal -- and corporate -- ethics objectives AND (i) you will accept an apology, in an effort to resume a benificent working relationship, once the boss retracts her requirement that you involve yourself with the formula reps. OR (j) you will need to continue your discussions recently begun with the Human Resources Dept. about the atmosphere of harrassment you feel has been created by your boss. Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC Wyndmoor, PA, USA *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html