Holidays/Personal/Sick Days-Keeping Everyone Happy

There usually is no confusion regarding paid holidays for full time employees when properly listed in the office policy manual. But you can run into problems if you give a pro-rated number of paid holidays for part time employees. What do you do for example when you have a part-time hygienist who normally works two days/week on Monday and Thursday. As a part timer she perhaps is entitled to two paid holidays a year – but the office might be closed for six Mondays, a day she normally works. Here is the proper language to use.

The following holidays are observed by our Practice: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Full time employees are eligible for six paid holidays from their first day of employment and are compensated based on an eight hour day. Part time employees will be paid for a maximum of two holidays, only when the holiday is observed on the day they would normally work. If a part time employee requests, the Practice will make every effort to schedule that employee additional days to compensate them for any days missed due to holidays not eligible to be paid.

In addition to holiday pay, I suggest that your practice can offer four paid personal days/year as a very nice benefit to full time employees. These days can be used for sickness, bereavement, or personal problems with no rollover into the next calendar year. In an effort to prevent staff from abusing this privilege, I strongly suggest you pay a $100/day bonus for any unused personal days. It’s just human nature to take full advantage of a personal day benefit. “Why shouldn’t I take the day – I’m entitled – and I do have a headache!” But someone might think differently when they are going to get paid double. And that dental assistant or hygienist is going to cost you a lot more than $100 in lost production if they call in “sick”. Here is the proper language to use.

Paid personal/sick time applies to full time employees only. Half a personal day is accrued for every month of employment completed with a maximum of four personal days given a year based on an eight hour day. Unused personal/sick time cannot be rolled over to the next calendar year. The practice will reward a $100/day bonus for any days not used payable in the first payroll payment of the following year. Employees will not be paid for unused personal/sick days upon termination.

Avoid problems before they happen. Check your manual and protect yourself with the proper language.