This blog will deal with the problems of having a spouse work in the office.
If the doctor’s spouse works in the office, that spouse must be very sensitive to the feelings of the staff members all of the time.
- The spouse that works out best in the office is a very supportive, happy person who assists staff members in doing their very best in the office regardless of personal problems. The spouse needs to be sympathetic to the family needs of the individuals that work with her. However, the job still needs to get done well.
- If a spouse works in the office, that spouse needs to have definite hours like every other staff member. Once the wife of my client walked into the office late, in her tennis outfit. Without knowing that it had been a very chaotic morning in the office, the wife instantly chastised staff members for having dirty cups in the staff lounge sink. She was as nasty as she could be. Staff members were furious.
- Another time, another wife completely reversed the decision that another front desk employee had made concerning the selection of tee shirts that were going to be worn at a local celebration to advertise the office. She should never have interfered. That staff member had spent hours on the project and was very hurt. The spouse must respect the decisions of staff members when they have been given responsibility.
The spouse must realize that he/she may be the object of certain criticism and just let it go.
- I can recall a month when our staff did not earn a bonus. I did announce it at the weekly staff meeting. Later I heard that a staff member said that I was happy when there was no bonus so we did not have to pay the staff extra money. Of course, when the staff do not get a bonus, neither did I! One other staff member understood, and did explain that later to her. I just let it go!
It is best if the spouse working at the front desk takes care of reviews for the front desk employees.
- Sometimes, that spouse will need to fire an employee because that employee is not doing the job the way it needs to be done. It is best if the spouse has a list of expectations about the job written out and then asks the employee if they are willing to do those tasks. When they are not willing to perform the way the office requires, they are choosing not to work in the office. This makes this onerous task much easier.
The spouse should hold the staff members accountable for their appearance, their punctuality, and their job responsibilities. That relieves the doctor of handling all that HR in the office.
- Being a spouse in the office is absolutely not an easy job. If it is the right person, the presence of a spouse can really help the practice beyond belief!!