Creating and Updating an Employee Policy Manual: Policies for Your Practice. American Dental Association

is presented later in this chapter.

       SAMPLE POLICY #3

      EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES

       This practice prohibits discrimination against employees with disabilities in all its activities, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, promotion, and termination. We comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (or its state or local equivalent) and will attempt to accommodate reasonable accommodation requests. Reasonable accommodation is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act to include “modifications or adjustments to a job application process, work environment or the manner in which a job is performed that enable a qualified individual with a disability to be considered for or able to perform the job.” If you feel you have experienced discrimination, would like to request a reasonable accommodation, or have questions regarding the Americans with Disability Act, contact the office manager.

      Acknowledgement of Receipt

      It is important to document that each employee has had the opportunity to read and ask questions about the employee policy manual. After providing a copy of the manual to each employee, have them sign and return an acknowledgement of receipt to you. Keep the signed form in the employee’s file. (See Figure 2.5).

       After providing a copy of the manual to each employee, have them sign and return an acknowledgement of receipt to you. Keep the signed form in the employee’s file.

FIGURE 2.5 SAMPLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT

      Office Schedule

      An office schedule gives every employee an overview of the hours of the practice, whether the team member is full-time or part-time. It also helps eliminate misunderstanding about scheduling, reducing late attendance and overtime. Be sure that employees are aware that they must adhere to the schedule, even when there are no patients in the office. Many software programs assist with office scheduling and can be helpful when developing your policy.

       SAMPLE POLICY #4

      OFFICE SCHEDULE

       All office staff members must be in the office during their designated working hours with the exceptions of breaks and lunch. These hours may differ for full-time and part-time employees, and can be confirmed by consulting the master schedule or by contacting the office manager. The dentist schedules patients during the following times, although staff members are expected to be present in the office even when no patients are scheduled:

Monday	10:00 a.m.	to	6:30 p.m.
Tuesday	9:00 a.m.	to	5:30 p.m.
Wednesday	7:00 a.m.	to	3:30 p.m.
Thursday	7:00 a.m.	to	3:30 p.m.

      Office Appearance

      For obvious reasons, the cleanliness of the dental office common areas comes second to that of the operatory. However, spaces such as the waiting room and areas of the business office that are visible to patients are often the patient’s first impression of a dental practice, and it is important to make that impression a positive one. Developing a policy that instills a sense of ownership in your staff can be an effective way to encourage employees to take pride in their surroundings and keep the office neat and orderly.

       SAMPLE POLICY #5

      OFFICE APPEARANCE

       All employees have a responsibility to care for the contents and furnishings of the office. Great care and expense have been taken to create a comfortable atmosphere for both patients and staff. The positive contributions of all staff members make a pleasant work environment for everyone. Abuse or neglect of the office or its contents will not be tolerated. Each employee will be responsible for the cleanliness of his or her work area. Feel free to contact the office manager or the dentist with suggestions to improve our office.

      Employee Rest Area

      The employee rest area or break room should be a space where employees are free to relax, have lunch, or attend to personal business during their free time. It should be out of sight of patients or other members of the public. Employee rest areas are also ideal for holding morning huddles, meetings and continuing education classes. Like the office, keeping the rest area clean, including the refrigerator and the microwave if you have them, is the responsibility of every staff member.

       SAMPLE POLICY #6

      EMPLOYEE REST AREA

       The employee rest area is a space where employees can spend their free time, such as lunch and breaks. Keeping the employee rest area clean is the responsibility of each staff member. Please remember: