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Issue #35-12.18.07
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Exit Interviews: The No Cost Insurance Policy for Your Practice
The corporate world has been using exit interviews for years, but small employers, particularly dentists, mistakenly assume that because their operations may have as few as three employees, they don’t need to bother with them. An assumption that is not only wrong, it could be very expensive.
Too often employers with just a couple of workers think they have a handle on what’s happening in the practice, but there is much that goes on that the doctor is completely unaware of even among the smallest of staffs, notes Mike Moore, Human Resources Director for McKenzie Management and author of Employment Policy and Handbook, a template that Mike customizes to address individual practice needs. He urges dental practices of all sizes to establish exit interview processes, noting that the system serves three key purposes, the most important being “insurance” in the event of a lawsuit.
The exit interview, which often times is a form that the departing employee completes, provides a telescope of sorts into the practice allowing dentists to learn about happenings within the office that they may not otherwise be aware of. For example, a dentist may recognize that there is some tension between a couple of employees, but may have no comprehension of the deleterious effect it is having on the team as a whole until a departing employee finally makes the dentist aware of the situation through the exit interview process.
If the exiting employee has a complaint or problem that they never felt comfortable sharing before, the form gives them the freedom to convey that information and opens the door for further investigation. “For example, the employee may suggest that they were unfairly accused of something by a coworker or that another employee had it in for them. You want to know about their concerns or if they have some gripe with you as the boss or someone else on staff. Typically, employees will not share what’s been happening in the office without an exit interview process,” explains Mike.
In practices in which exit interviews are conducted, oftentimes it is only selectively and with those employees who leave on good terms. The other staff members who leave under questionable or negative circumstances typically are not given exit interviews. But they are the ones who are far more likely to sue their employers. “It’s critical that the exit interview be applied across the board to all employees because the real purpose of the interview is to gather information you may not be aware of or learn about a gripe that the employee has that they’ve never shared.”
The process also serves as an insurance policy of sorts in the event the employee decides to sue the doctor at a later date, notes Mike. “People who are terminated as well as those who quit will, in some circumstances, make up reasons to sue their former employers, and sometimes it can be long after they’ve left the practice. This is particularly true in dental offices with regard to claims of sexual harassment.”
In some states, former employees can allege sexual harassment up to six years after they leave or are dismissed from an employer. However, if a departing employee is provided an exit interview form and they do not state on the form that they feel they were sexually harassed during the term of employment, the chances that their allegations will be dismissed increase significantly. “The fact that they did not claim harassment on the exit interview form is devastating evidence against a former employee who later tries to allege harassment,” emphasizes Mike.
Exit interview forms should ask general questions that elicit information from the employee. If the employee brings up issues such as, pay, interpersonal relationships, hours of work, etc., that should prompt further investigation. “Certainly, if the employee providing the information was a bad apple in the practice, you can consider the source but you must also consider the information they give you. The process is of no value at all if you don’t look into the issues that the employee raises.”
Bottom-line, ignorance isn’t bliss. In fact, it’s usually very expensive. You want to know now about potential employee problems long before they become potential employee lawsuits.
To order your customized employee policy manual including exit interview forms go here.
Sally McKenzie is CEO of McKenzie Management. a nationwide dental management, practice development and educational consulting firm. Working “on-site” with dentists since 1980, McKenzie Management provides knowledge, guidance and personalized systems that have propelled thousands of general and specialty practices to realize their potential. Sally can be reached directly at 1.877.777.6151
Interested in speaking to Sally McKenzie about your management concerns? Email her at Sally@thedentistsnetwork.net