Medical office policies template

Help us improve your experience by providing feedback on this page. Having clear, well-documented office policies and procedures is essential to running a successful practice. From reducing the likelihood of client misunderstandings about matters like scheduling, payment and cancellations, to streamlining personnel management and setting clear expectations for your staff, your policies and procedures are one tool for managing the risk inherent in running a business.

Although some types of policies are relevant to most practices, the extensiveness of your policy manual will depend on the way your particular practice operates, as well as whether you have support staff — and if so, how many people you employ. What to Include Your policies and procedures manual should address most major aspects of your practice operations. Typical categories include:. If you are a solo practitioner without support staff and handle all of your administrative activities yourself, you will have less need to document all of your administrative operations and your policies and procedures may focus primarily on office policies related to your clients and their records.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you have a large practice or a more complex organization or employ a greater number of support staff, you will need to have more extensive documentation that establishes your compliance with various federal and state employment laws and regulations. What to Avoid Although a policies and procedures manual can be an effective tool to help you run your practice, manage your staff and reduce your liability risks as an employer, there are several safeguards that can prevent future headaches and reduce the likelihood of employment-related complaints and lawsuits.

To reduce the likelihood of issues such as wrongful termination suits, breach of contract claims or other employment-related lawsuits, be sure that your policies and procedures manual does not inadvertently create an employment contract.

Include a statement in your disclaimer that indicates your right to modify the policies, rules and benefits at any time. Do not make duplicate office keys. No outside agency, inspector, visitor, inquirer, salesperson or ex-employee may enter the operatories or office from the reception area without permission. Do not discuss the security system or code with any unauthorized person.

Violations will result in immediate dismissal. Park in the designated areas and lock your car. The office is not responsible for damage or theft to automobiles or personal property.

The office telephones are intended for business use, so please refrain from making or receiving personal calls. In the event of an emergency, you will be contacted immediately. Outgoing long distance calls of a personal nature are to be logged at the time of the call and the total time given immediately to the office administrator. Personal calls are to be reported and paid for when the telephone bill is received.

We expect you to devote your full efforts to the interests of the practice during your working hours. Avoid outside business or gainful activities that could divert your time, interest or talents away from the satisfactory accomplishment of your responsibilities. These items are of substantial value, highly confidential, constitute the professional and trade secrets of the doctor. They are confidential and provided and disclosed to the employee solely for use in connection with your employment.

We ask our employees to honor the following:. To regard and preserve practice information as highly confidential and trade secrets of the employer.

To continue to keep any information inviolate, even after termination of employment with the office. To release personal information about other staff members — telephone number, address, etc. Employees who handle confidential information are responsible for its security. Any employee who violates this confidentiality and disclosure policy is subject to disciplinary action up to and including discharge, and in extreme cases, legal action.

Although not intended to discourage staff creativity, any system, idea or communication developed during your employment here is property of the practice and remains so even after termination. Clean and orderly surroundings have a positive bearing on staff morale and productivity. Be sure to keep work areas neat and tidy and to correct or report any conditions that detract from the professional image that we want to convey.

Staff members are encouraged to leave problems at home rather than bringing them to work, but at times this may be unavoidable. If you have a problem so severe that it affects your ability to perform, please discuss it with the doctor or office manager. You can count on us to keep it private, and we expect you to do the same. Never discuss personal problems within hearing distance of patients or clients, guests or other staff members. After a short while, one becomes somewhat knowledgeable in certain standard advice to patients.

We need to convey an atmosphere of warmth, caring, professionalism, efficiency and competence. It is important to always show that you really do care about the patient. Never act indifferently. Always strive to leave your own distractions and problems at home. Negative comments should also be relayed, as the comment may be a signal about a misunderstanding or a problem that should be addressed.

We encourage you to learn all you can about our profession. You are encouraged to refer your friends and relatives to our office. Being under the influence of any drug or alcoholic beverage on the job poses serious risks to the health and safety of the patients and fellow employees. Therefore, any use, sale, purchase, transfer or possession of any illegal or non-prescription drug is prohibited at any time. Any employee who is determined to be in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action.

This may include immediate dismissal and referral to law enforcement officials. An employee who displays unusual or bizarre behavior that could be attributable to alcohol or chemical substance abuse may be required to undergo a medical examination, including urinalysis, to determine if he or she is suffering from alcoholism or drug use. Consenting to medical testing may be a requirement for continued employment. Whichever direction it comes from, it could present problems for the business and could be considered unethical.

This includes flirting in any fashion. We have established a procedure for evaluating job performance on a regular basis. These performance evaluations are vital for future planning, and they provide fair, timely and objective measurement of performance in light of job requirements. We conduct two evaluations of a new employee during the first year. The first is after approximately 90 days of employment. Another is done after 12 months of employment.

We will advise you of the time for your scheduled review at least three days in advance. This gives both of us an opportunity to prepare so that areas of mutual concern can be addressed. The performance appraisal will address job factors and behaviors that are observable, measurable and specifically related to job performance. Staff members who quit, are discharged or fail to respond to a recall, will be regarded as separated from employment with the office and will maintain no seniority, recall or other rights.

Separations are either voluntary or involuntary. Although a staff member may give notice, the resigning staff member may be asked to leave immediately because of staff morale, unsatisfactory job performance or operating needs. Staff members who are asked to leave immediately will be paid their regular salary in lieu of work. Severance pay will not be awarded, and the resignation will be treated as voluntary.

Unauthorized Leave: If a staff member requests time off that is denied, and the staff member takes off anyway, the time off will be considered job abandonment and treated as a voluntary termination.

Involuntary: A permanent separation initiated by the employer due to:. The above list is not intended to show all of the possibilities that might result in involuntary release from employment. The notice will state the reason for the release and the last date of employment. Written office policies help to: prevent misunderstanding and lack of communication; eliminate hasty, unrefined decisions in personnel matters; and assure uniformity and fairness throughout the practice.

Upon satisfactory completion of the Orientation and Training Period, you are: considered potentially qualified, reclassified as a regular or temporary employee, given seniority retroactive to starting date, and enrolled in the office benefit plan if applicable. The employee classifications are: New Employees: Staff that are employed for less than 90 calendar days the Orientation and Training Period. The orientation period may be extended for another 90 days at the discretion of the doctor.

Former employees that are rehired after more than 12 months after leaving the practice would fall into this classification. Regular Full-Time Employees: Staff who regularly work 32—40 hours in a given work week. Under special conditions illness, etc. With mutual consent between doctor and staff member, this time may be extended. Regular Part-Time Employees: Staff members who work less than the customary number of full-time hours weekly for a continuous period of 90 days.

Temporary Full-Time Employees: Staff members whose service is intended to be of limited duration and who work the customary weekly hours of a regular full-time employee for a period of less than 90 days. With mutual consent between doctor and staff member, this period may be extended up to a period of six months, after which time full-time status is conferred. Temporary Part-Time Employees: Employees who work less than the customary number of full-time hours a week on an indefinite irregular work schedule.

If you work a regular part-time schedule for more than 90 days, you receive regular part-time status. With mutual consent, temporary employee status may be extended to days.

Such employees include staff members who qualify as exempt executive, administrative or professional employees or as outside sales persons. Our resolution procedure works like this: The employee brings the problem to the office manager or immediate supervisor within 10 days of the occurrence. The office manager will attempt to mitigate the situation.

If the employee is not satisfied, the employee takes the problem in writing within the ensuing five days to the employer, who will investigate the circumstances and subsequently return a decision to the employee within five more days. Like a lot of rules, this one has exceptions. You can voluntarily waive the right to a lunch break, provided you work no more than six hours in a workday. You may, with approval, choose to: work in the office; take time off without pay; or take time off and be charged with earned vacation, unused holidays, or time off that was earned but not used.

WAGES AND SALARIES This practice maintains a salary administration program which: provides for payment of salaries comparable to those paid for similar positions and services in the community; allows for differences in individual ability, knowledge and skill; and provides incentive to encourage each individual to strive for improved performance.

The support of a dependent for whom the employee claimed exemptions is taken over by someone else or no longer furnishes more than half the support for the year. The employee finds the income of a dependent relative is less than the legally allowable amount for the year, and the employee had not previously claimed an exemption for the dependent. Non-Exempt Employees: Employees not exempt from minimum wage, overtime and time card provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act do receive overtime pay.

Any overtime worked must be authorized in advance by the doctor or as soon thereafter as possible. Attendance will not be counted as hours worked when: A staff member voluntarily attends such programs after work hours even though they may be job-related.

Length of Continuous Service Vacation Benefit Less than 90 days, you will not have any vacation days. After one year, you will receive five vacation days. After two years, you will receive ten vacation days.

Vacation pay for full and specified part-time staff members is at the regular pay rate. Holidays on a Regular Scheduled Day Off: If a national holiday falls on a weekend, the office may close the day before or the day after the holiday. The day off is scheduled at the convenience of the office. The date will be approved or paid at the regular rate for the day.

Before returning to work, the staff member needs a statement from a physician declaring the employee is ready to resume work and stating whether there are any restrictions to job duties. Marriage: A leave of absence without pay may be granted for a period of up to two weeks.

New Child Care: Your written request for a leave of absence must be submitted as far in advance as possible, specifying the reason for the leave. A staff member does not accrue seniority while on an unpaid leave of absence. Dates for benefits eligibility and salary review will be postponed accordingly. An employee may be rehired to work the following priority of position assignment: prior position, equivalent position for which qualified, or lesser position for which qualified.

Involuntary Termination: When no position is available, the employee will be considered as having resigned involuntarily. Voluntary Termination: A staff member on a leave of absence may be dismissed if the individual has accepted outside employment during the leave or has misrepresented the reason for the leave. Unauthorized Leave: When a staff member requests time off that is denied and takes it off anyway, the absence is considered job abandonment and treated as a voluntary termination.

Reporting the Pregnancy: Notify your employer as soon as your physician confirms the pregnancy. Your physician must indicate approval of your continuing employment and fully explain any work restrictions.

The physician also must provide a reasonable estimate of the latest date you will be allowed to work. You may continue working so long as your physician says that doing so would not endanger your health. Returning from Maternity Leave: Before delivery, let us know when you expect to return to work. Every effort will be made to place you in your previous position. You will need a medical release from your physician stating that you are physically able to return to your normal duties.

A staff member who fails to return to work upon expiration of her maternity leave will be terminated without notice as of the last date of employment. FUNERAL LEAVE Staff members bereaved by the death of a family member will be granted time off from work without loss of pay according to the following provisions: When a death occurs in the immediate family, the staff member will be compensated for the wages actually lost from the day of the death, up to and including the day of the funeral, not to exceed a total of two work days.

Eligibility: All regular full-time employees are covered by the policy. New employees with less than 90 calendar days of employment are eligible for the above absences without pay. The time off must be approved. Time paid for funeral leave will not be counted as hours worked for the purpose computing overtime. Funeral leave pay will not be paid in addition to any other allowable pay for the same day, such as holiday pay, paid sick leave, paid vacation, etc.

Some expenses to be considered are: Travel Meals Accommodations Tuition Salary Supplies To be reimbursed for expenses, submit within 30 days of the course completion date: evidence that you have completed the course, a verified statement of tuition paid and other costs, a detailed outline of information covered in the course, and recommendations for items you would like to see implemented in the practice.

Benefits include cash benefits for both impairment and disability. Disability payments cover certain physical problems, while impairment benefits cover disability and loss of wages. Rehabilitation Benefits: Both medical rehabilitation and vocational training for cases involving severe disabilities. When Faced with an Emergency: Stay composed. Walk briskly, if necessary.

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