Why do dentists want to get away with not paying a team member for “extra” tasks?

One of the most common questions I get from coaching clients is the topic of our latest Dental Light House podcast.

I’ve been asked dozens of times for some version of the following:

“My dental assistant has been training our new hire and now is asking for compensation for it. I feel it’s part of her normal job, and I don’t feel paying her more is necessary. What are your thoughts?”

There are two very clear and distinct points I’d like to try and make here.

First, if there is a question in the first place, then there was a lack of clarity in the job description that this assistant agreed to when she said yes to your employment offer. Learn from this so you don’t make the mistake again.

Second, if you ask a team member to perform a task outside of her normal responsibilities, you MUST have a conversation with the person about whether they will be compensated for the additional work and what that amount would be.

Using the example in the podcast episode, a dental assistant is getting paid X amount to be a great chairside assistant (by great, we mean a good core value fit and someone that routinely performs their roles and responsibilities at a high level).

Everything is going well, and then you ask the person to add more tasks to their play but “hope” they do it willingly and don’t need any additional compensation and/or benefits. You have chosen not to have the conversation, not to be proactive, not to go into the storm. This mindset is simply not fair.

If you care about the relationship and really love this person, you need to talk it out. Some additional tasks that I have seen placed on people without any conversation of compensation changes . . . .

  • Managing the dental supplies
  • Onboarding and training a new hire
  • Creating and maintaining the clinical teamwork schedule
  • Being a liaison for equipment repairs
  • Designing digital cases
  • Managing clear aligner clin checks

Look, let me be crystal clear. I’m not suggesting that a great dental assistant cannot take on additional responsibilities. I’m simply saying that you need to stop hiding behind the assumption that these tasks are part of the original job description that they agreed upon when they first said yes to your job offer.

I made this mistake for years. Don’t follow my lead.

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