RX FOR THE BOTTOM LINE: How Not to Be at the Mercy of a Bad Employee

MINERVA DEJESUS and AURIANA REYES

RX FOR THE BOTTOM LINE: How Not to Be at the Mercy of a Bad Employee | RX for the Bottom Line, Simple Solution Billing, Auriana Reyes, Minerva DeJesus

Have you ever been in a situation where you want to fire an incompetent employee, yet fear they may pursue collecting unemployment and therefore raising your premiums?
 
You shouldn’t be concerned about those costs when your bottom line at your office is suffering due to someone’s poor work ethic. It doesn’t seem fair to pay someone when they are not working while on your time. Maybe that employee makes too many personal calls, uses their cell phone for things other than emergencies, spends more time on the Internet than office software, treats your patients like a burden rather than a blessing, does tasks their own way rather than how you asked to have it done, and so forth.
 
You shouldn’t be at the mercy of such negligence because of fear that it will result in higher unemployment insurance premiums. A terminated employee will file for unemployment no matter what happened at the office because, rest assured, they do not think they did anything wrong. It is your job to make getting that unemployment claim approved a nearly impossible task.
 
Employees get approved for unemployment benefits when they can prove they were fired for anything other than misconduct or insubordination. One thing will benefit your case. One word will make life easier for you and more difficult for your soon-to-be former employee. Your asset is documentation. Document everything! This includes the number of times the employee wastes your money by not working while on the clock.
 
Let’s give your employee the benefit of the doubt and provide a verbal warning. Maybe the employee doesn’t recognize what comes across as unprofessional behavior. It would be wise to make some kind of note in the employee’s file documenting the time, date, and content of the verbal warning. Some office policies require a witness present during any verbal warning as proof that it took place. A specific time frame for requested change to take place will provide a stronger stance on the matter. If employee behavior has not been changed by the time allowed, a written warning must come into play. This warning must be signed by employee, witness, and physician employer.
 
Do not worry if the employee refuses to sign. The employee has that right and can simply put “refuse to sign” with his/her initials.  The written warning is not because you want the employee to agree with the misconduct. It is documentation stating that the issue has been addressed and that the employee has been spoken to. Keep in mind that the employee does not need to provide a full signature to make the warning valid. Because you’re not trying to hide anything, give an additional copy to the employee.
 
Keep in mind: A single incident of misconduct that did not pose a substantial harm to your practice would not be considered good cause for termination.
 
After three written warnings, you may terminate the employee, because it has become clear that their behavior on what may be several issues will not change, making the employee more of a complication and less of an asset to your facility.  
 
Documenting the cause for termination and details of misconduct could help build evidence for refusing or appealing the unemployment claim a disgruntled ex-employee might file. The following tips provide additional steps that you may find fit your way of handling business at the office:
  • Conduct an exit interview, where you discuss the reasons for termination of employment. Document the interview and if possible, get the employee to sign, giving them an additional copy for their records.
  • Draft a termination letter with details of the specific misconduct that led to the employee’s termination.
  • When responding to the Employment Security Department’s letter, include all evidence of misconduct such as the termination letter, exit interview documentation, and statements from other employees who witnessed the misconduct.
  • If the employee has voluntarily quit, provide details to the ESD concerning the reasons stated at the time of departure. A copy of the employee’s notice will be most helpful, if available.
  • If the former employee is claiming illegal activity in the workplace or wrongful termination, state whether the employee complained of any wrongdoing on the company’s part and if so, the steps taken to address the complaint.
 
Do not be at the mercy of a bad employee! In a perfect world, there is no reason adults should not be able to part ways in a productive manner with no hard feelings. Since we do not live in a perfect world, it’s your responsibility to protect yourself with these simple solutions to what could become pricey problems.
 
 
Minerva DeJesus and Audi Reyes are founders of Simple Solution Billing in Maitland, Fla.