Using the disciplinary process

A successful dental practice needs good dentists, but more importantly, it needs a good dental team. Happy, motivated employees are the foundation of the perfect practice. Recruit well in the first place; keep your contracts updated regularly to reflect the needs of the practice and use disciplinary procedures when necessary.

Too many businesses issue standard contracts and never update them. Contracts should be reviewed regularly to reflect the changing needs of the practice, through added incentives, adjustment of working hours or changes to job descriptions.

Most importantly, dentists need to use the one main tool they have to ensure that their practice runs as efficiently and smoothly as possible - the disciplinary process. If a staff member regularly turns up to work late, or has performance issues, it is best for employers both in the short and long run, to deal with these matters promptly. Too many times, we see dentists who are too busy or unaware of the process of disciplinary action to deal with underperformance when it is required.

The disciplinary process is more a tool to help you to achieve the practice you want than simply a way to terminate contracts. It may be that a new staff member is not sufficiently trained and by following a disciplinary procedure, even if it as an informal chat, will reveal gaps in training that may have otherwise been overlooked. It can be as much of a help to staff as to the employer, provided it is followed appropriately.

What doesn’t help anyone is ignoring problems and letting resentment or ill feeling build up. This creates a bad atmosphere for dentists, staff and patients and makes it impossible to achieve a harmonious, happy team. When using the disciplinary procedure however, you must ensure that you are going about it in the right way. Failure to follow procedure can lead to potential claims and loss in team morale.