If your medical practice is like most, it's difficult to make a case for adding full-time office staff. And it's no wonder. The benefits associated with a full-time employee in the health care industry — including Social Security, 401k/403b contribution, disability insurance, health insurance, pension plan, and paid time off — add approximately 40 percent to an employee's … [Read more...] about Use contract employees and temporary workers to solve difficult staffing issues
Managing staff
Go nuclear: gain critical mass for your office
By Steve M. Cohen bio Nuclear reactions are a big deal, and in a sense you can gain some of that power in your office with a little planning. In case physics wasn't your favorite course, nuclear reactions involve what is called "critical mass," the presence of enough fissionable material to creation a reaction. If you can create critical mass, then things start to … [Read more...] about Go nuclear: gain critical mass for your office
Less than half of U.S. workers believe their employer supports a healthy lifestyle
Despite the prevalence of workplace wellness efforts, only one-third of American workers say they regularly participate in the health promotion programs provided by their employer, according to a new survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. Additionally, less than … [Read more...] about Less than half of U.S. workers believe their employer supports a healthy lifestyle
Exempt employee salary rules just changed: are you ready?
By Paul Edwards bio Medical practice owners and office managers are about to face a tough transition. The minimum salary at which an employee may qualify as "exempt" from overtime pay has just been changed to $47,476 per year by the Department of Labor—and by December 1, 2016, all businesses must comply. What's changing, and why? Under the old Fair Labor Standards … [Read more...] about Exempt employee salary rules just changed: are you ready?
Is good leadership nature or nurture?
A report and leader model from ManpowerGroup's Right Management, experts in talent management, identifies leadership traits and provides practical solutions to predict, develop, and measure leadership effectiveness. The report, "Most Likely to Lead," comes at a critical time for employers: 87 percent do not believe they have the future leaders needed to fill critical roles. … [Read more...] about Is good leadership nature or nurture?
Retaliation landmine
By Lynne Curry bio Everyone in your office knows she's a problem. She mouths off constantly and prefers chatting with coworkers to doing her job. You regret the day you hired her and when she makes one smart-aleck comment too many about your practice, you say "Look, you're not happy here. I'll have the bookkeeper draw up a final check. I wish you good luck." Big mistake. … [Read more...] about Retaliation landmine
EEOC issues final rules on employer wellness programs
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, has issued final rules that describe how Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply to wellness programs offered by employers that request health information from … [Read more...] about EEOC issues final rules on employer wellness programs
Culture eats strategy for lunch. Every time, everywhere
By Steve M. Cohen bio You may have heard the expression, "Culture eats strategy for lunch." It's a widespread concept in many management circles and was even the title of a book. Some give credit for coining the concept to the management guru Peter Drucker, but I suspect it goes back much further. Henry Ford is said to have followed it. Alexander the Great probably … [Read more...] about Culture eats strategy for lunch. Every time, everywhere
Two ADA surprises: odd disabilities and attorney’s fees that can hit the sky
Two surprising points about the ADA. First, what the office doesn’t think is a disability could well be one. And second, the ADA applies to access to public places such as stores and restaurants – and offices. And while the law “has a noble purpose,” along the way “it’s been hijacked by a subset of plaintiffs who have made it their life’s work to target as many public … [Read more...] about Two ADA surprises: odd disabilities and attorney’s fees that can hit the sky
Turn staff from ‘critters’ into smart thinkers with ownership in their jobs
The brain has two states. One is the “critter state.” That’s the point at which a person responds like a raccoon or a skunk or any other critter. The focus is survival. It’s fright-freeze-fight-flight thinking. The other is the “smart state.” And that’s the point where a person is a human being: innovative, creative, collaborative, and emotionally engaged. In the critter … [Read more...] about Turn staff from ‘critters’ into smart thinkers with ownership in their jobs