The Dental Defence Union (DDU) has today launched this service for dental practice principals. Dental principals can speak to one of a team of experienced consultants with in-depth knowledge and expertise of employment law, contractual requirements and case law precedents, 24-hours a day. They will also be provided with free advice when drafting letters and receive telephone coaching in managing employment issues.
Rupert Hoppenbrouwers, Head of the DDU, said:
“We know that one of the biggest challenges of running a dental practice is managing staff. Members know they can rely on us for expert dento-legal advice and our dental principal members can now access the same high quality advice on employment matters. We hope the service will help them to deal with employment dilemmas involving topics such as employment contracts and disciplinary issues, properly and efficiently.
“In the DDU’s experience, providing good quality care to patients is a team effort and it is vital that our members know they can get expert advice on employment issues that might affect the running of their practice.”
Peter Done, Managing Director of Peninsula Business Services added:
“Employment law can be complex and it is important that employers seek advice before taking any action, or as soon as any unforeseen issue arises. We aim to give dental principals the peace of mind to know they are following procedures correctly, so they can concentrate on providing high quality patient care.”
Examples of some of the common employment dilemmas faced by dental principal members, which the advice line can help address, include:
- A probationary dental nurse keeps turning up late for work and has taken a lot of time off sick lately.
- A receptionist who resigned three months previously takes legal action against the practice complaining of how she was treated.
- An employee turns out to have a criminal conviction.
- An employed dental hygienist asks to work less hours due to family commitments.