Even when you run the most compliant healthcare practice you may face an employment dispute or allegation from a former staff member. It’s a stressful experience, one you’d like to think will never happen to you.
Which is what Trish Jancewicz, practice manager, business manager and nurse at Riverina Surgical Consulting, thought – until it did happen.
The problem: staff member makes dramatic exit, with bullying allegations
When one of the practice’s employees left the practice, they made allegations about bullying and harassment.
“This person left under difficult circumstances. In their documentation to the Fair Work Commissioner, it stated we didn’t have a policies and procedures manual, that we didn’t have an anti-bullying policy. It was awful,” Trish recalled.
PracticeHub’s solutions: detailed audit trail disprove allegations made to Fair Work Commission
Trish called PracticeHub and explained her situation to support team member, Aidan, who offered to gather supporting documents for her.
“There was a lot going on, we were short staffed, and I was trying to be a receptionist as well as deal with this allegation. Aidan said, ‘You sound really busy. I’ll pull up their user data and email it to you.’ I thought ‘Bless you!’ I was so grateful I could simply call PracticeHub,” Trish said.
The practice submitted the relevant documents to the Fair Work Commissioner, proving that they have a policies and procedures manual and an anti-bullying policy, along with the former employee’s user data proving they had sighted the documents, and on what dates and times.
“Who knew PracticeHub was going to come to my rescue?” Trish said. “When I got the software, I knew it could do that, but I didn’t really take it in, I thought, ‘Okay, that’s interesting, but I don’t need it. And then I did, and it was like another safety net under me again.”
The overall results: time, money and reputation saved from a potentially damaging allegation
While it was a stressful, time-consuming experience for Trish and her team, PracticeHub’s documentation and support team spared Riverina Surgical Consulting even more time, in what could have been a drawn-out legal process with Fair Work. Being able to easily access user data through PracticeHub, the practice could disprove the allegations, also saving potentially thousands of dollars in legal fees and protecting their reputation.
“It’s not a pleasant experience to go through. It was painful, it was emotional, but it’s over and PracticeHub helped me out of a little hole. I had lots of physical proof,” Trish reflected. “I never thought it would happen to us, but it did, and I’m really happy PracticeHub helped us prove we are doing the right thing. People can allege what they like, but if you have actual proof that it’s not the case … that’s all the Commissioner needed. It was pretty easy to disprove a lot of stuff that was being said.”
Feedback on PracticeHub: a safety net when you need it most
“I never thought I’d use that feature but I did and I was so grateful it was there,” Trish said. “I had this backup, all this physical evidence that what was being alleged was not the case. I didn’t have to sweat it – it was all just there. I was gobsmacked and I said to my husband [the practice’s head surgeon, Dr Stephen Jancewicz] ‘I told you! This is such an amazing program!’”
About PracticeHub
Should your practice find itself facing a staff complaint or allegation, PracticeHub can help you gather evidence to prove your case, relieving unnecessary stress, and giving you back your time to focus on what you do best – running a safe, efficient, quality practice and caring for your patients. Discover more about PracticeHub.
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