Practice tip of the week: What to do in bad weather

With all the useful information available on Physicians Practice, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

With this in mind, the tip of the week is a chance to reflect on some of the wisdom found all across the site. In this January 2014 story on whether to require employees to come in during bad weather, Melissa Young, MD gives these tips:

When do you tell staff not to come in because of weather conditions? Sure, there are times when it's obvious. Had the snow still been falling that morning and the roads were impassable, I would have told them to stay home. Had the patients cancelled the day before, there wouldn't be an issue. But just as last week I talked about what's best for the patients when the weather is bad, I also have to weigh what is best for the practice and safe for my staff. I wouldn't want them traveling in unsafe conditions, and since we live in different towns, I don't really know what their roads are like. On the other hand, while I got a lot of flack for not paying them for taking the day before the night before Christmas off (and I'm sorry, Christmas is the holiday, not pre-Christmas Eve), I am paying them despite the office closing for weather, therefore, weather-permitting, I want them here. If the patients can make it, and I can make it, they should too, although I will cut them some slack to allow for safe travel time.

Click here to read the rest of the article and be sure to check back next week for another Tip of the Week!