In my last two blog posts, I discussed the many reasons for obtaining professional help with the HR side of your dental practice. I’d like to conclude this series by focusing in on the details of HRIS software–the acronym for human resource information system.

All four of the companies that I mentioned in those posts offer their own version of HRIS software. This is a state-of-the-art, end to end, online solution to manage and track all employee data including – but certainly not limited to – benefits, time and attendance, time off requests, sick time, vacation time, license or certification renewal, and new hire paperwork.

Probably one of the most important features of the software is that it provides an easy and effective and time stamped way for you to document performance. Wage and hour lawsuits have grown out of control, and now eclipse malpractice cases brought against dentists. Wrongful termination claims are also on the rise. In my experience, I find that  doctors are often very lax and undisciplined when it comes to documenting inadequate and/or poor employee performance.  Lack of documentation opens you up for risk of liability. Paper documents don’t seem to hold up very well in court since they can be easily fudged or fabricated.

HRIS software will also act as the time clock to assure that time is accurately tracked, and that breaks and lunches are documented. An IP specific time clock uses the doctor’s modem to create a digital fingerprint, assuring that punching in and punching out happens when and where it is supposed to. Individual password protection is included to eliminate buddy punching.

Every state has a list of documents that employers must have on file for its employees. A big advantage of HRIS software is that it makes this easy with federal and state compliance checklists.

The list of what this software can do goes on and on. I’ve probably only scratched the surface here, but I hope I am making the point that it is time to get into the 21st century. Investigate–perform your due diligence – make some phone calls and take some demos – and then take the necessary action to make your life so much easier and reduce your liability.

In my last blog post, I promised to share some recommendations to help you overcome the burden of “administrative overload” related to the human resources (HR) side of your dental practice. With the New Year’s mentality of making and following through on resolutions hopefully still in play, I would like to suggest something to go right to the top of your list. And that “something” is to hire a company that specializes in organizing and managing and administering all of these HR functions with the goal of keeping you compliant and minimizing the risk of HR liability.

The question, of course, is whom do you hire? There are a large number of companies to consider, but basically they fall into one of two categories: a professional employment organization (PEO) or an administrative services company (ASC).

The PEO model is more revolutionary and not that well known in the dental community. The model is based on the concept of co-employment, where your employees become part of one huge group with one Federal ID number. The PEO claim is that you might realize significant savings on the cost of benefits because you are part of a group of 100,000+ rather than 10 to 20. But if you do partner with one of these companies, they require and stipulate that they must manage three important areas: health care, payroll, and workmen’s comp insurance.

The two leaders in this PEO space are Insperity and TriNet. Definitely solid and respected companies. My concern – if you decide to go this route – is that you will have to sever relationships with your existing health care broker, payroll company, and insurance agent. Those relationships could be long-standing and personal, so I can see this as essentially a difficult hurdle to overcome. But it is certainly worth investigating if you don’t have those concerns. Call Brian Rooney at TriNet at 781-906-0015.  My contact at Insperity is Tony Silvestro at 781-565-2849.  Both of these people are knowledgeable and experienced in the industry.

The administrative services company model is more traditional because you, the dentist, are still in control and have freedom of choice for healthcare, payroll, and workmen’s comp insurance. I feel comfortable recommending Administrative Business Resources based in Westborough, MA. Please call Sheldon Prenovitz at 508-380-5044. Sheldon started his company 10 years ago. He has a wealth of experience in this field. I also very much like HR for Health. This is a five-year-old company with over 1000 clients doing business in all 50 states. The company was founded by a lawyer and a technology guy who are both married to dentists! You should call Ted Treat at 410-903-6949 to find out more.

All of these companies provide excellent support with HR and employee relations. They all, to some degree, offer unlimited advice and problem solving by telephone with HR specialists. They all integrate payroll with a state of the art cloud-based HRIS (human resources information system). This is like an online file cabinet with everything stored in one place. The software is very impressive.

I would suggest that you begin your search by visiting the websites of the companies I have highlighted. As a sidebar, I was impressed with their blog content that is available at no charge. Then make some telephone calls and get educated regarding costs and contracts so you can make an educated decision on what would be best suited for your practice.

You simply can’t afford to sit back and not do this. There is too much at stake. As always, I would really appreciate your feedback on what you discover.