Office manager fesses up to stealing time, now what?

Provided by: Jennifer Kirschenbaum, Esq.

September 24, 2015

Question:

Jennifer,

I'm not sure if this is a direct result of this week being a recognized day of atonement, but my office manager fessed up to stealing vacation days from me. I haven't been tracking her very well and she has apparently been milking the system and paying herself for extra days off. I rely on her to a great extent. Do I have to fire her?

What do you think I should do?

Dr. F

Answer:

Well, it is a lot easier to fire than to get someone to actually work hard for you. If you rely on your office manager and she is responsible for you, it may make sense to keep her. This is one of those tricky situations where only you, knowing all the facts and potential impact to your practice can make the best decision for you. If you do elect to keep her, I do recommend taking a closer look at all operational matters on a more frequent basis. Make sure you are monitoring co-payments and all other collections. If this person has control in your banking system, be sure to start checking more frequently that things are going well. Vacation and co-payments are frequent areas employees will take advantage or "steal" on. Try to set up checks and balances so even the best of your employees are not tempted towards abuse.

If you do elect to terminate and you want to offer severance, be sure to work with our office for a proper agreement with general release in your favor to protect your practice after departure. You can contact Erica or me directly to discuss.

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