Dentaltown February 2024 - 18

MESSAGE BOARD 1
Hygienist Asked for Two Weeks Off
Next Summer ... And I Said No
Townies' rebuke of this doc's hasty decision leads her to reconsider
Dentistlady50
Post: 1 of 150
12/5/2023
My hygienist came to me today and asked for two
consecutive weeks off next year, and I told her no.
She has found a sub to cover the first week, which is
fine because then the patients won't be angered and
they don't have to be moved. It's a financial hardship
when she goes on vacation because I have to pay her
vacation hours and also pay a substitute hygienist.
It's like a double whammy. I mean, but you have to
pay quality employees vacation days if you want
them to remain.
Anyway, I wanted to see what other people do in
this situation. I was honest with her and told her
it would be a financial hardship for me, and that
I'm also not in a position where I could take off any
longer than a week at one time because of overhead
and such. Do other doctors have employees who ask
for more than one week at a time off? n
digital
Post: 6 of 150
12/5/2023
Summer is a long way off. Easy to plan around it.
Heck, it's a break for you-one less hygiene to check.
Recall appointments are just placeholders; just tell
her to reschedule those patients herself. Denying her
vacation is a great way to build resentment. n
G.V. Hack
Post: 7 of 150
12/5/2023
She did you a huge favor by not only giving you
this much advance notice but also by finding a
replacement for a week. That is somebody I personally
would want to keep happy. n
Jamar M Jackson
Post: 13 of 150
12/5/2023
I think you made a hasty decision. She has earned
CLT-DMD
Post: 3 of 150
12/5/2023
Is it worse to have her be out two weeks (one of
which she already has covere) or to have her quit and
then have to find a new hygienist to hire? If financial
hardship is your main concern, I would think trying
to hire a new full-time hygienist would be a much
larger financial hit than her two weeks off. n
vacation time, so the " double whammy " is all in your
mind. Either you see no hygiene patients the weeks
she's off and lose completely, or you pay the substitute
she found this far in advance.
If patients are going to be angry your hygienist is
going on vacation, I feel sorry for you, because they
should be happy to hear their favorite hygienist is
taking some well-deserved time off!
When similar issues arise in the future, tell the
work or die
Post: 4 of 150
12/5/2023
I would give it to her. She's entitled to a life, too.
I would be very resentful if I wanted to have a big
vacation and my plans were shut down. n
employee you need time to consider their request,
even if the answer is going to be no. You not even
considering her request is another lost notch in the
loyalty belt that will be almost impossible to regain.
My suggestion is to go back and reverse
the decision. n
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Dentaltown February 2024

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