DISMISSAL
Disassociation with anybody is usually a very painful process :be it a staff member a patient or a visiting consultant or anyone else.. As for as possible disassociation with anybody should be avoided. It could be better to sort out any matter with mutual understanding and discussions.
However ,in spite of our best efforts there could be situations in which we may have no other option but to dismiss a staff member . In the following few paragraphs. I would like to elaborate on this in some detail.
To begin with please take utmost caution while hiring any staff. This point will be dealt in separate chapter.
However in spite of taking the best precautions you may erroneously hire someone with a bad attitude . In such a case sack a person immediately and without any delay. This should be done even if there is a temporary inconvenience for a few days or even for an extended period of time. Remember, if there is less staff than the patient turn around time will increase or the work flow may be disturbed a little bit. But a staff with bad attitude or careless attitude will destroy your practice and reduce the overall patient footfall.
It is very rare that you may have to sack an employee for lack of skills. This can however happen it the employee has very less IQ, poor memory, slow reflexes or very short attention span etc. It can also if the employee is a senior citizen who is unable to pickup new skills.
Most of the time you need to sack an employee for a bad and an incorrigible attitude.
A bad attitude may manifest itself in various forms. It could be being plain disinterested in clinic work, working slowly , doing things only when they are told , not showing any initiative , not looking out for work, slow reflexes , not keeping the facility clean , using clinic computers and telephones for personal work and finally stealing and misappropriating.
It can also manifest in excessive gossiping , chatting with other staff and patients and disturbing the work of other staff.
Also the bad attitude will reflect in their interactions with patients. It could be speaking in a rude way with patients, speaking to them about their personal life or teasing or in many cases inappropriate flirting , touching and sexual advances.
As the old adage goes : “HIRE FOR ATTITUDE AND TRAIN FOR SKILLS.”. The obvious corollary is “DISMISS “ for a bad attitude.
If something is going wrong , find out whether the employee is doing it due to lack of skills, or a childish or an immature attitude , lack of formal education or social finesse or is he inherently bad. If you feel that is inherently bad than sack him immediately.
For other reasons you can train him.
STEALING and MISAPPRORIATING :
There have been many cases wherein the staff has been stealing or misappropriating money or consumables ( dental or non -dental) or even instruments from the clinic. In fact , this is an ongoing phenomenon occurring across all industries at all levels.
Now if the staff member has been doing this than you will find a change in their behavior and body language. It could range from being more rude or disinterested but most of the times it is the opposite. They are usually more smiling , behave in a more friendly way and speak better or in fact may even humor the dentist and /or patients.
But the smile on their face will be a sly smile. Their friendly behavior with patients , dentist or other staff will be more friendly than required and beyond socially acceptable limits. Their more than friendly behavior with patients will actually embarrass the patients and will affect the practice.
Please note that every situation is different and there is no cook book kind of solution to detect a staff member who is stealing. But most of the times you will find a change their behavior and body language.
One very simple way to understand the quality of staff is as follows. Leave some cash , a small amount, in the drawer in the operatory or reception desk. Leave it on purpose but pretend that you have forgotten it. Than check whether the cash is there or not in the place where you left it. If it is stolen you will be able to guess who has stolen it and when. Just as dentists advise regular checkups and prophylaxis for their patients it is necessary to a regular checkup of the systems and employees in the clinic.
If it is an accountant than he may take more time to finalize the accounts and present it to you. This he will do it even if you repeatedly ask him to finalize the accounts on time.
Usually all busy and mature practices employ multiple staff and stealing or misappropriating is happening more often than not it is two or more staff members acting in tandem. In many such cases one employee initiates embezzlement and ropes in another one to help him
With the advent of cashless payment modalities the scope for the staff to actually steal hard cash has become less. But they could still lay their hands on stationery , consumables , dental instruments etc.
So eternal vigilance and surveillance is required. Some surveillance methods :
1) CCTV
2.) Audio surveillance ( However , pls note that the staff member who indulges in stealing will find out ways and means to bypass CCTV and audio surveillance )
3.) Computer softwares which track the activity of staff on the computers
4.) Feedback from other staff and patients
5.) Keep a constant tab on how the staff interacts with patients.
The surveillance methods must improve continuously.
Clinicians DELEGATE clinic management to staff. While that is right ( clinician must concentrate on improving his clinical skills) it is wrong to completely ABDICATE clinic management.
Also at regular intervals dentists must have a one to one conversation with each staff individually. In many cases, the other staff is usually fully or partially aware of the wrongdoings occurring but have chosen to stay quiet. Even they are not aware they will also suspect. They may however not voice their suspicions openly. With some probing you will be able to get to the truth and you will be shocked to hear about the facts when the transgressions come to light.
The other staff must be trained to report any misconduct or transgressions immediately.
CAUSES OF STAFF INDULGING IN STEALING & MISAPPRORIATION:
To put it very simple terms it is the criminal bent of mind and nothing else. The materialistic tendencies and the criminal bent of mind have increased with the advent of internet and social media etc. So there is no moral compass and conscience in many human beings.
Besides this there are a few more thought processes in the employees mind which exacerbate the problem: A few of the are:
1) The doctor is earning a lot of money and hence even if I steal a little bit it is OK.
2) Sometimes the staff and the dentist are from a different ethnicity and so the staff has no qualms about stealing . My boss is from a different ethnicity anyway. However , please note ,that in most cases he would steal even if the boss would be from the same ethnicity.
3) Dentist is perceived to be careless.
4) Dentist may be or perceived to be too dominating or scolding often. The staff then justifies stealing as a method to take a revenge.
Also, clinicians must realize that no amount of surveillance or monitoring can prevent an employee from stealing , misappropriating , embezzlement and transgressing. S/He will always find out innovative methods for the same. So if you feel that someone has criminal tendencies let go of him / her before immediately before he causes damage.
A few common reasons for dentists not dismissing their delinquent & belligerent staff are as follows :-
A] No training and no concept in practice management
B] At times many dentists are so busy in routine clinical practice that they are unable to schedule time for these issues .
C] Many dentists simply overlook minor issues minor misappropriations and minor stealing etc. Over a period of time this emboldens the employees to commit serious misappropriation . Dentists must understand that there is no minor stealing or minor misappropriation . No misappropriation must be overlooked condoned . If you overlook an misappropriation of Rs. 5 /- be prepared to face an misappropriation if Rs . 5000/- and even more.
D] Some are afraid of the temporary inconvenience caused by lack of employees .
E] An issue in urban areas where some dentist face is that lack of quality staff . so they feel is that if I sack this staff how and when will I get a new one ?
F] Many dentists overlook rude behavior of staff with patients because they feel that patients are coming for me and my skills . while that is completely true , but dentists must realize that patients go out and send in more patients based on the overall experience the patient has in the facility .
BEFORE DISMISSAL :Ensure that you have all contact details of the employee with you. Check his / her drawers / lockers etc. Ensure that he has not taken any data from your computers. This has to re verified even after he leaves your clinic.
AFETR DISMISSAL :Ensure that his contact details are with you in case if required in the future. Please share the experience with the local dentists / clinician group. Many a times the employees who have committed fraud take up employment with another unsuspecting dentist / clinician.
SUMMARY: In spite of the maximum diligence during the hiring and probation phase you may still end up with bad employees who will damage your practice. In such cases it is best to dismiss them as early as possible . Do not wait till you find a new employee before dismissing a bad employee. Dismiss them as early as possible even though there could be a temporary inconvenience for some time.
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