Legal danger zones: How the little details can cost you thousands

Editor's note: This article is a part of a series on human resources best practices by CEDR HR Solutions.

If you’re like most dental employers, you try to follow human resources (HR) best practices and keep up with employment laws as best you can. So what if I told you most dental practices are making one or more critical policy mistakes that may be putting their profits, growth, and financial viability in danger?

These oversights have to do with areas of employment law that are complex, rapidly changing, and often difficult to interpret—from the intricate rules surrounding travel and seminar pay, to what you can and can’t lawfully include in an employee cell phone policy, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and wage and hour violations.

In all of these cases, dentists and their office managers are making common sense policy assumptions that seem reasonable at face value, but can turn around and cost the practice tens of thousands of dollars in penalties, employee settlements, or even lawsuits lost down the line.

My goals with this e-book are (1) to provide you with the information you need to identify if you’re making the same costly mistakes, and (2) offer suggestions on what you can do to solve them. You’ll also receive more tools and helpful resources at the end that you can put into place in your practice.

That said, this e-book is not a magical cure-all. While this guidance comes directly from attorneys and HR experts here at CEDR, each practice and situation is different. As such, there’s no safe, “one-size-fits-all” path you can follow. If something in this e-book raises a red flag, I highly recommend that you call CEDR or an employment law attorney to help you figure out the best path forward for you.

As you go through this e-book, keep a notepad and pen nearby for some notes. And if you have further questions, I’d be happy to answer them, or even to review your employee policies for free.

Ready to get started? Here’s your map of what to watch out for in the legal minefield.