By Paul Edwards bio What does your practice do about unused PTO from last year? Doctors and office managers often ask us questions like this: "My employees want to know if I will roll over or pay out unused PTO from last year. Am I legally obligated to do this?" This question is more complex than it sounds! First, this issue depends heavily on state laws, as federal … [Read more...] about PTO rollover: Is it required?
Managing staff
Five things medical offices need to know about the Trump travel ban
We'll leave it to others to argue whether it's legal, moral, or wise. What we can tell you is that President Trump issued an Executive Order Jan. 27, 2017, establishing a travel ban that can affect healthcare providers. Litigation has resulted in a temporary reprieve from the ban issued on Feb. 3. However, it's a good idea to understand what is at stake and how the ban—if it … [Read more...] about Five things medical offices need to know about the Trump travel ban
Who’s the most prepared for the future? Survey results may surprise you
When it comes to preparing for the future, Millennial small-business owners are seemingly the most concerned generation in recent history. They are more likely than Gen X or Baby Boomers to have plans for natural disasters, retirement benefits, cyberattacks, and even business succession. Those Millennial generation facts stem from Nationwide's second annual Small Business … [Read more...] about Who’s the most prepared for the future? Survey results may surprise you
Two female employees in a romantic relationship
Question: Two women who work at our practice have recently become romantically involved—with each other. My problem isn't with the fact that they are both women, but that they are coworkers. How should I handle the situation? Answer: Workplace romance is a difficult topic for a manager to broach because it seems as if it's an intrusion on employees' personal lives. On the … [Read more...] about Two female employees in a romantic relationship
Supervising and surviving virtual teams
By Lynne Curry bio As a manager, how can I supervise employees at remote locations—particularly when I never see them? If I work remotely, how do I make sure I stay on my supervisor's radar for promotional opportunities? Which employees thrive in virtual team situations? If you manage a virtual team If you manage employees you never meet face-to-face, you may feel … [Read more...] about Supervising and surviving virtual teams
Six key questions arising from the Trump/ACA executive order
Milliman, Inc., a global consulting and actuarial firm, has compiled six questions for consideration by healthcare stakeholders about the Trump Administration's recent executive order, which gives a sweeping command to the leaders of the new administration to unwind certain aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)—especially those components deemed … [Read more...] about Six key questions arising from the Trump/ACA executive order
Anxious millennials seek stability and opportunity to make a difference
Want to retain your millennial staff members? Offer them stability and the chance to contribute to a good cause. A turbulent 2016—punctuated by terror attacks in Europe, Brexit, and a contentious US presidential election—appears to have rattled millennials' confidence, according to Deloitte's sixth annual Millennial Survey. They indicate they're less likely to leave the … [Read more...] about Anxious millennials seek stability and opportunity to make a difference
Most outrageous employee excuses for being late
Are any of your staff members chronically late for work? If so, they're not alone. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, when asked how often they come in late to work, more than 1 in 4 workers (29 percent) admitted they do it at least once a month—up from 25 percent last year—and 16 percent say it's a weekly occurrence for them—up 3 percentage points since last year. More … [Read more...] about Most outrageous employee excuses for being late
Pregnancy discrimination: don’t let good intentions get you in trouble
By Paul Edwards bio Chances are, you would never intentionally discriminate against a pregnant employee, and your doctor(s) and team probably feel the same way. But it can be easy to unintentionally discriminate. When it comes to pregnancy discrimination lawsuits, the road to court is usually paved with good intentions. Do all practices need to worry about … [Read more...] about Pregnancy discrimination: don’t let good intentions get you in trouble
4 steps to preventing medical claim denials
By Ricki Ransom bio It's no secret that the relationship between health care providers and insurance companies is complicated. Healthcare providers are spending a significant amount of time and energy with patients just to find out that an insurance company will fight them on paying for the services provided. Preventing claim denials helps ease the complications … [Read more...] about 4 steps to preventing medical claim denials