Dentaltown August 2019 - 54

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Staff Scheduled Vacation During Other
Preapproved Vacation Without Asking
It happens. Here are some great ideas for resolution-and prevention

B2_DMD
Member Since: 05/03/11
Post: 1 of 126

I have two front-office staff members. Around January, one put in a request for paid time off
for a vacation in August. I approved it. However, yesterday, the other front-office staff member
informed me that her husband booked a trip, and two of those days are going to overlap with the
preapproved vacation of my other front-office staff, leaving me with no coverage. How should I
go about handling this situation? ■
6/11/2019

Stephen
Member Since: 02/14/03
Post: 2 of 126

You have a policy that states time off must be approved. The whole purpose of this is to be
able to manage appropriate staff levels to keep your office going. The person with the time off
not approved needs to work. If not, then you need to start looking for a replacement.
Or, you could just take vacation during that time and make sure everyone is on the same
page going forward. ■
6/11/2019

Timmy G
Member Since: 04/14/02
Post: 3 of 126

I'm pretty flexible, but this would make me pretty ticked off. It's exactly the reason why
planned time off has to be approved. This very reason. I would tell the second person she has to
come up with a plan for those two overlap days that she did not get the OK for. How is the office
going to run, what's your plan on that? ■
6/11/2019

The Unknown D P A T
Member Since: 03/27/14
Post: 4 of 126

Bring her in. Show her the policy. Show where she signed that she read and understood the
policy (hopefully you've got it written down). Tell her you have every right to say that if she takes
off during those two days, it would be grounds for dismissal because she didn't show up for her
scheduled work. Tell her you're a nice guy/gal, though, that this will be the one and only time she
gets a second chance, and that in any future scheduling missteps caused by a lack of following
this policy, she'll have to either come in to work as scheduled or turn in a resignation letter.
Let it slide completely and suddenly the policy basically doesn't exist, which is terrible for
your office and making the money that team members need to get their paychecks. Firing the
person for a first-time offense seems to be harsh unless she's been a terrible team player and this
is a good reason to finally cut the cord, in which case she just gave you a major blessing.
Then, take those two days off or come in and do admin stuff that's always piling up. ■
6/11/2019

B2_DMD
Member Since: 05/03/11
Posts: 6 and 9 of 126

I have a policy in place stating that all extended leave must be preapproved no less than a
month out and that first submissions get seniority, so to speak. I want to tell the staff member
that it is not approved and that she is expected to work those days, but I know the response I
will get: She will tell me that she is going whether it's approved or not. She is my only Spanishspeaking staff member and brings in a decent amount of treatment from that community. So

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Dentaltown August 2019

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