Office Policies & Manuals

Employees in California will be allowed to take five days of paid sick leave — up from the current three — beginning Jan. 1, 2024, under legislation signed into law in October. The law applies to employers of every size. Salary, hourly, full-time, part-time and temporary employees are eligible for the leave.

Seeking specialized advice from risk management experts is essential for addressing the complexities of running a dental practice and managing employee dynamics. Collaboration with TDIC’s Advice Line analysts contributes to the long-term viability, success and prosperity of the dental practice.

CDA encourages its members to take a proactive approach to employee meal and rest break compliance. Doing so requires an understanding of the regulations involved and communicating with employees about them.

Amendments to the California Family Rights Act and Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act expand employees’ leave rights and take effect Jan. 1, 2023. The changes require covered employers to provide protected bereavement leave and allow employees to take time off to care for a "designated person." 

Guidelines for behavior should exist when practice team members interact with one another outside of the office. TDIC’s Risk Management analysts encourage dentists to promote high standards of behavior inside and outside of the office by clearly defining professional boundaries.

Prioritizing job duty training over educating new employees about crucial office policies can lead to miscommunication and increased risk of misconduct. Minimize risk by documenting your practice’s employment policies, with resources from CDA and TDIC.

With the holiday season’s arrival, Michelle Coker, employment practices analyst at CDA Practice Support, is taking calls from members who have questions about the laws governing holiday pay. She’s assembled tips to guide California dentists based on her conversations with callers.

All health care providers, including dentists, will soon be required to comply with a new federal regulation that aims to enhance a patient’s right to access their health information. Under the new rule, patients will have greater and, at times, immediate access to health information.

A recent California Supreme Court ruling that requires stricter meal practices in the workplace underscores the responsibility of dental practice owners to enforce break policies that are compliant with California laws.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last December issued guidance indicating that employers may encourage or possibly require COVID-19 vaccinations, but policies must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Start your new year on the right foot by auditing your human resources systems and records. To diminish the possibility of legal issues and to ensure that your practice seeks to comply with labor and employment laws, it is important to perform an HR audit. An audit can include timekeeping and wage statements and all of the following.

With so much emphasis on the need for employers to establish written policies mandated by federal, state and local laws, it’s easy to overlook the important day-to-day employee management policies on everything from hygiene and smoking to use of personal electronic devices. Discussed below are four areas of employee conduct and attire expectations that you might consider addressing through a workplace policy, if you don’t already have one in place.