Dental Staff Discipline Procedures

When correcting your dental staff, it's crucial to discover why. Is there a policy or procedure they don't understand? Is there are policy or practice they disagree with? You can learn a lot by listening, and they may even have a valid point!

Don't assume right off the bat that the employee is wrong or bad. First, find out what the problem is and take it from there. That said, there may be times where an employee needs to be corrected on the same issue multiple times. In this situation, there are a few protocols that can be followed.

Dental Staff Discipline Protocols

1. Talk to the employee – Get your employee's side of the story. Some offenses require dismissal, but for minor ones, we recommend talking it out first. Discipline should be done on a gradient and may not be the same for each employee or circumstance. 
2. Warning – The first time a minor infraction occurs, clarify the rule and explain what is expected of the employee. In most cases, a warning is sufficient enough not to require further action. 
3. Reprimand – For problems that require additional action following a warning, put together an official written reprimand. Include the facts of the situation, improvements you expect to be made, and a period for the improvement to occur. The employee and dentist should both sign the written reprimand before it's placed in the employee's file. 
4. Penalty – After the time period set in the written reprimand is up, evaluate whether the employee has made the proper corrections. If no improvement has been made, it may be time for further disciplinary action, including demotion, suspension without pay, or termination.

Note: Before making any changes in your disciplinary procedure, be sure that any such changes are legal in your state.

A key part of running a successful dental business is having a staff you can trust and rely on. For help with training employees or for more tips on how to successfully build your practice, contact CTC Associates today.