When Staff Behavior Becomes Unacceptable

Every place of work should have rules and guidelines about behavior, including your dental office. These guidelines are put into place to make sure that each person is performing their responsibilities and that the staff can work together. As long as these guidelines are enforced, your office should run smoothly.

An employee handbook is a great tool to make sure everyone has the same information and guidelines. As long as everyone knows their responsibilities and are aware of the consequences, you’ll find that there are fewer instances of miscommunication and conflict.

Disciplinary Action

Violation of the guidelines in the employee handbook should also include information about the disciplinary action that will be taken if these guidelines are not followed. This disciplinary action should include a verbal warning, a written warning, an interview with the employee, and ultimately, termination.

It’s probably impossible to think of every single violation that could occur, but there are a few things to include in the violation list in the employee handbook. These include:

• Conducting personal business on work time
• Office gossiping
• Disclosing confidential information about patients
• Being hostile or unfriendly to other staff members or patients
• Frequently coming to work late or not coming in at all
• Negligence in regard to patient care
• Office theft
• Use of illegal drugs or alcohol while at work

If you’re experiencing problems with an employee, please don’t hesitate to contact CTC Associates. We can help you create and implement some guidelines to keep your office running smoothly.