We had a front office employee who stole from us. On a regular basis. For over a year.
After taken care of the situation, we brought in a consultant to help us keep it from happening again.
She told us the embezzlement was our fault. We didn’t have the processes in place to prevent it. That put the employee in the position where she could steal with impunity. If we had taken the right steps, no theft would’ve taken place, she wouldn’t have been prosecuted and she would still be with us.
Create the conditions where transgressions won’t occur—and they won’t occur.
As a leader in my practice, I had to set policy and manage several sexual harassment reports involving other partners and employees. I also selected and updated our mandatory training.
Most training checks a box, but as a practical matter, it’s useless for preventing such harassment from occurring.
Harassers are going to harass. You can only encourage them not to and set an example by punishing them when they do.
My experience also suggests that false complaints are rare. But if you avoid putting yourself in a position where such complaints could be made, you don’t have to worry about them occurring at all.
Some of the changes you need to make in your behavior run contrary to human nature. But whereas a complaint against a business executive can be harmful to their careers, one against a licensed professional can be a career ender.
Try getting hired after resigning contemporary to a harassment complaint.
Have you looked closely at that list of questions you have to answer to renew your license?
The first rule is don’t sexually harras someone.
The second is don’t put yourself in a position where such an accusation can be credibly made.
Here’s a practical listcicle from someone who’s been on the front line.
- Your gender or orientation is no protection. Female reports on males are certainly most common, but in my time I had to deal with male reports on females and same-sex allegations of both genders. So the rules below apply to everyone.
- Your administrator is still beholden to the clinician for their authority—even if they are above you in the official hierarchy. You still are in a position of power. Respect that.
- No closed door meetings with anyone, unless there are at least three other persons present. That includes any meeting with your medical director, administrator, or anyone else. The exception is any meeting specifically dictated by your health system’s official policy—such as an HR review. Then, at least you have the manual to fall back on. If a leader or co-worker still wants to have that meeting with a closed door and it’s not explicitly required by policy, tell them of your personal rule of no one-on-one meetings with the door shut. Better to be difficult than unable to practice.
- Never have drinks after hours or otherwise party with co-workers. Never.
- Don’t meet co-workers outside of work. If you wind up at the same CME together, keep it public.
- If you do need “privacy” for a meeting with a co-worker or supervisor, do it in a cafeteria or other public place.
- Avoid personal questions or “chit-chat” with your co-workers. Sounds hard and counter-intuitive in a social setting such as a medical office, but absolutely necessary for your own safety.
- Don’t follow or friend co-workers on social media. As a professional, it’s best to avoid personal social media completely for oh so many reasons. At most, do so on a completely private basis.
- If you need to take a nurse along for a house call or nursing home visit drive separately and don’t meet outside the office on the way to or from the visit.
These are not bulletproof, but they will protect you most of the time. Even if they remove most of the social element of your job.
Unfortunately, most clinicians now days are taking things to far. Most of my clients whom I mentor pay me to do so because no one in their office is willing to help them.
They’re being avoided completely. Left adrift as they get their sea legs.
In a discipline as collaborative as medicine, it’s a damn shame—and a loss for all.