TODAY’S DENTAL NO. 1, LTD.
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
Human Relations (H/R) Manual
Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Employee Handbook 4
Mission Statement 4
Your Role at Today’s Dental 4
Employment Practices 5
At-Will Employment 5
Equal Opportunity Employer 5
Non-Discrimination/Anti-Harassment Policy 5
Open Communications 6
Work Schedule 7
Office Hours 7
Staff Meetings 7
Attendance 7
Breaks 8
Time Clock 8
Time Away From Work 9
Vacation 9
Unpaid Leaves of Absence 10
Maternity Leave 10
Bereavement Leave 10
Jury Duty Leave 10
Personal Time Off 10
Employment Classifications 12
Introductory Period 12
Classifications 12
Compensation 13
Pay Cycle 13
Rates of Compensation 13
Bonus Plan 13
Standards of Conduct 14
Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures 14
Personal Appearance and Uniforms 14
Workplace Policies 16
Personal Telephone Calls 16
Parking 16
Office Confidentiality 16
Maintenance and Housekeeping 16
Smoking 17
Purchasing Policy 17
Collection Policy 17
Electronic Communication Systems Policy 18
Treatment and Diagnosis Policy 19
Safety 21
Office Security 21
Reporting Accidents/Injuries 21
H/R Administration 22
Personnel Data Access and Changes 22
Performance Reviews 22
Outside Employment 23
Benefits 24
Holiday Pay 24
Insurance 24
Dental Care 24
Workers’ Compensation 26
401(k) Plan 26
Professional Development 27
Continuing Education 27
Re-Certification/State Licenses 27
Separation 28
Termination of Employment 28
Resignation 28
Return of Company Property 28
Pay and Benefits at Separation 28
Disclaimer and Acknowledgment 29
Electronic Communication Systems Acknowledgment and Consent 30
INTRODUCTION
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
This Employee Handbook is for the benefit of all employees. Please refer to it whenever you have a question. THIS EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK IS NOT A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT, nor is it intended to create any contractual or other legal obligations. The Company retains the right at any time, without notice, to change all or part of its policies or depart from them depending on the circumstances
MISSION STATEMENT
Our Mission Statement is to “Build a long-term relationship between our staff and patients and provide quality, consumer friendly dental services the whole family can value and afford in a happy environment.”
YOUR ROLE AT TODAY’S DENTAL
We are building a tradition of care, service, and solid relationships between our staff and patients at Today’s Dental. We will expect no less than 100% from you as a team player and staff member. You must bring a great attitude to the office each day and abide by the following “Team Commandments”:
· Help each other be right, not wrong.
· Look for ways to make new ideas work, not for reasons they won’t.
· If in doubt, check it out! Don’t make negative assumptions about each other.
· Help each other win and take pride in each other’s victories.
· Speak positively about each other and about our organization at every opportunity.
· Maintain a positive mental attitude no matter what the circumstances.
· Act with initiative and courage, as it all depends on you.
· Do everything with enthusiasm; it’s contagious!
· Whatever you want, give it away.
· Don’t lose faith.
· HAVE FUN!!
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT
Employment by Today’s Dental is AT-WILL, meaning that either you or the Company can terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason not prohibited by law, with or without cause or notice, and with or without procedural formality or progressive discipline. No supervisor or manager at Today’s Dental has the authority to alter the at-will nature of the employment relationship, except the President or CEO in a written agreement signed by both parties.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Today’s Dental is an equal opportunity employer. Although management is primarily responsible for seeing that the Company’s equal employment opportunity policies are implemented, all members of the staff are responsible for assuring that their actions are fair to other staff members. Any individual who believes that he or she has been discriminated against in violation of this Policy should follow the Complaint Procedure set forth in the Non-Discrimination/Anti-Harassment Policy below.
Non-Discrimination/Anti-Harassment Policy
It is the Company’s policy to provide a work environment free of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Discrimination and harassment based on an employee’s race, sex, gender, pregnancy, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, disability, marital status, political beliefs or activities, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law will not be tolerated. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, slurs, jokes, teasing, or name-calling directed at one of the above categories. The Company promptly will investigate and address all reported allegations including taking any appropriate disciplinary action. Discrimination and harassment of employees by non- employees, such as patients and vendors, also is prohibited.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment and generally is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct/contact of a sexual nature when: (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating any intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Some examples of conduct that can create a hostile working environment include unwelcome touching, sexually explicit language, obscene gestures, staring, sexual jokes, display of sexually explicit materials, graphic or suggestive comments about an individual’s body or manner of dress and derogatory comments based on gender.
Complaint Procedure
Any employee who experiences or observes conduct that he or she believes constitutes discrimination or harassment is responsible for reporting this problem to his or her supervisor or to the Office Manager. These different means of reporting are provided so that an employee does not have to deal directly with a person whom the employee believes engaged in inappropriate conduct. All reports will be investigated promptly, thoroughly, impartially, and in as confidential manner as possible. All employees are expected to cooperate fully in the investigation of a report.
If the Company determines that a violation of this policy has occurred, appropriate and immediate disciplinary action, up to and including termination, will be taken. The Company will not tolerate retaliation against an employee for making a legitimate report or cooperating in an investigation of a report.
OPEN COMMUNICATIONS
Today’s Dental is committed to an open door policy and creating a work environment that encourages open, direct, and honest communication between all employees. If you have questions, concerns, or a work-related problem, you are encouraged to promptly discuss the matter with the individual involved to try and resolve the issue. If that does not work, or you do not feel comfortable approaching the individual involved, the next step is to raise your concerns with your supervisor or the Office Manager if your issue involves your supervisor. If a problem arises that you believe cannot be addressed through the normal channels the final step should be utilizing the Dispute Resolution Form found on the server.
Each employee is an integral part of the team; please do your part to foster good communications and a positive work environment.
WORK SCHEDULE
OFFICE HOURS
Office hours at Today's Dental are:
8am to 5pm Monday - Thursday
8am to 1pm Friday
(Hours subject to change)
Employees must arrive by 7:30 a.m. to be present for the morning huddle and to prepare for the day.
Dental Assistants / Hygienists are expected to have their operatories completely ready for service by the time the patients are scheduled to be seen and to have patients seated on time.
STAFF MEETINGS
The purpose of staff meetings include identifying and discussing problem areas, helping each other resolve problems, and educating staff in new products and ideas. Staff meetings will be held at management’s discretion. All staff members are expected to attend staff meetings unless the meeting is a department meeting.
All staff members are encouraged to participate in the meetings. Teamwork is encouraged and no one staff member will be singled out for any special discussion. Anyone wishing to be on the agenda or to have a special topic addressed at a meeting must inform the Office Manager a minimum of two working days in advance of the meeting.
Non-exempt employees do not have to clock out for staff meetings. If a staff meeting occurs during the lunch break, lunch will be provided.
ATTENDANCE
Every employee is expected to attend work regularly and report to work on time. Unscheduled absences are very hard on the entire team and punctuality is very important for the doctors and the office to stay on schedule. If you are unable to report to work on time for any reason, it is your responsibility to telephone your supervisor as far in advance as possible before the start of your shift.
Unless otherwise protected by law, unsatisfactory attendance, including tardiness, may be cause for disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Unless otherwise protected by law, unreported absences of more than three consecutive workdays will be considered a voluntary resignation.
BREAKS
Breaks are important. All staff members are eligible for and encouraged to take one 15-minute break anytime they are scheduled for four consecutive hours of work. Break time is for rest and personal activities, such as phone calls.
TIME CLOCK
Non-exempt employees are required to clock in and out each day to keep accurate track of their time worked. Please clock in / out at lunch, at any other time you are out of the office for any reason other than office business or if you are receiving dental treatment during working hours.
Falsifying a time record or failing to record your time and/or tampering with another employee’s time record are serious violations of company policy and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
TIME AWAY FROM WORK
VACATION
Full-time employees (regularly scheduled for a minimum of 32 hours per week) with a minimum of one full year of continuous employment are eligible for paid vacation. Annual paid vacation is determined by the employee’s length of service with the Company, as of his or her Anniversary or Date of Hire. Paid vacation begins to accrue on a monthly basis with your first month after the first full year of continuous employment according to the vacation schedule below. If you are on a leave of absence, you will not accrue vacation during that leave. Vacation time earned for a partial calendar year of service is prorated based upon the number of months of service during the partial calendar year.
Vacation Schedule
Length of Service / Annual Accrual1 year / 5 days
2 to 4 years / 10 days
5 to 7 years / 15 days
8 to 19 years / 20 days
20+ years / 25 days
All vacation requests must be made in writing on the appropriate forms and are subject to approval by the Office Manager. Except in case of illness or emergency, requests for vacation must be submitted at least 15 days in advance. Vacation will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis, although every effort will be made to accommodate employees’ vacation schedule preferences.
When a Doctor takes vacation time off, the assistants are encouraged to take time off during that same timeframe.
Exempt, salaried employees must take vacation in eight-hour increments only. Non-exempt employees may take vacation in one-hour increments as needed.
Vacation time for employees will be paid at the regular straight-time rate for an eight-hour day. Vacation time for dentists will be paid at a rate of $50.00 per hour for an eight-hour day.
Accrued but unused vacation may not be carried over or accumulated from year to year. Accrued but unused vacation time remaining in your vacation bank at the end of your Anniversary year will be forfeited. However, if employees have three or more years of full-time employment and cannot take vacation time off due to their workload, the Office Manager may approve a payout of a portion of the accrued but unused vacation time or a carry-over of a portion of the accrued but unused vacation time to be used within 30 days past the Anniversary or Date of Hire.
Employees discharged based on their conduct are not eligible to receive a payout for their accrued but unused vacation time for the year. An employee who resigns in good standing or is laid off, with at least two weeks’ written notice, will be paid for accrued but unused vacation, provided that the employee works his or her regular hours during the resignation notice period.
UNPAID LEAVES OF ABSENCE
Occasionally, for medical, personal, or other reasons, you may need to request time away from work. Management may grant unpaid leaves of absence in its discretion. Since each person is vital to the success of our Company, the granting of this type of leave is normally only for extremely compelling reasons. All requests for leaves of absence must be submitted in writing to and approved by your supervisor. Each request shall provide sufficient detail such as the reason for the leave and the expected duration of the leave. If you are on a leave of absence, you will not accrue vacation during that leave.
MATERNITY LEAVE
Female employees are eligible for maternity leave for the birth of a child. An eligible employee may take up to six weeks unpaid leave subject to approval of the Office Manager. Employee’s benefits will continue during the six-week maternity leave excluding holiday pay.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
In the event of a death in an employee’s immediate family, the Company may allow up to three days off with pay and up to an additional four days off without pay. “Immediate family” for purposes of this Policy generally is defined as an employee’s spouse, child, step-child, mother, father, brother, sister, grandparents, father in-law, mother in-law, son in-law and daughter in-law. Exceptions to this Policy may be approved by the Office Manager.
JURY DUTY LEAVE
Today’s Dental allows up to three (3) paid days off for jury duty. Should you have to serve more than three (3) days on duty, you are entitled to an unpaid leave or you may choose to use your accrued vacation leave. If you are called for jury duty, you must notify your supervisor immediately and provide appropriate documentation of your jury summons.