[lnelson]

Hi there — first off, you’re not alone in this. Many practices are navigating the fallout from dropping insurance plans like Delta Dental, and it’s never easy, especially when you’re also trying to do right by your team.

Here’s what I’d say:

Clarity is kindness. It’s so important to clearly communicate what your office policy is around pay when the office is closed. If there’s ambiguity, people will naturally assume based on what they hope, not what’s sustainable for the business. Document your policy and go over it with your team so everyone is on the same page moving forward. Make sure to talk to your HR company to make sure you are in compliance.

Compassion doesn’t mean overcommitting. It’s generous and thoughtful to offer base pay during light weeks — but if your team expects to be paid when there’s no work or the office is closed, that’s where boundaries come in. Employees can still be respected and valued without the business absorbing all the risk. That being said, can you get creative around how you might be able to stagger schedules, spend time cross training, find projects that have been sitting there for a while…etc… ask them to bring you suggestions of ways to be productive.

Keep it collaborative. Frame the conversation around the long-term health of the practice. “We want to be here for our patients, and for you, for years to come. That means we need to make some smart, sustainable decisions about how we handle downtime.”

Train for downtime. If there are slow days (but not full closures), use that time to train. Cross-train. Role-play. Clean up processes. Work on the practice. That time has value — but it needs to be structured.

At the end of the day, you’re not just managing a practice — you’re leading a business and a team. That means making decisions that are both kind and clear, supportive and sustainable.

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 3 days ago by  lnelson.