Articles & Publications

Mistakes happen, even to the very best of us. The best part about mistakes? Learning from them. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can even learn from others’ mistakes and avoid the problem yourself. Supporting thousands of clients nationwide on an ongoing basis, we learn firsthand about the mistakes that happen.... read more →

You may have heard about appreciation in the workplace, its contribution to employee engagement and the role it can play in a business’s success. It’s that smart-sounding thing that, like cleaning the attic, you know would be good to do but haven’t gotten around to doing. A lot of employers... read more →

Claims of retaliation against employers have become one of the fastest growing areas of employment litigation. You need only look at the statistics published by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to get a grasp of this bleak trend. In fiscal year (FY) 2011, it was big news when the... read more →

Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Al Franken, Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer…these are just a few of the names that have been subject to a wave of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and/or inappropriate conduct allegations in the past few months. This spawned the #MeToo movement that doesn’t appear to be... read more →

Eugene, Oregon. July 22, 2020. Bent Ericksen & Associates (BE&A), the nation’s leading Human Resource consulting firm focusing on healthcare, is expanding its partnership with Verasoni Worldwide, a marketing consultancy and advisory firm. BE&A is nationally recognized for its deep expertise and guidance in the field which helps empower clients... read more →

It’s not unusual for employers to want to cut costs and save money—makes perfect sense when you own and run your own business. Unfortunately, we find dentists taking this desire, combining it with an industry misconception, and then creating financial liability and employee resentment. Dentists get frustrated when hygienists have... read more →

“Working interviews,” volunteering and/or unpaid internships are not uncommon in the industry, but they have become a source of increasing risk to dentists, both financially and emotionally. Getting caught doing these without considering compliance requirements can leave you vulnerable to a plethora of problems. Working interviews, in particular, present complex... read more →

As an employer it is safe to say that at one time or another (if not already) you will have to deal with a difficult employee. If you are one of the fortunate few who have not experienced this, then you probably have lent your ear to many a colleague,... read more →

Employers are regularly characterized poorly in various media outlets. While there are those who deserve it, most don’t. Throughout the years, we have met, and worked with, some of the nicest employers, who genuinely want to do right by their employees. This is to be commended, no doubt. The world... read more →

A dentist fired an employee who wasn’t performing well. She was absent a lot, failed to chart patients correctly, and had the lowest production numbers. After months of putting up with this, the dentist sent her packing and hired a replacement employee. Six months later the dentist received a letter... read more →

An I-9 form is a document that all employers, no matter the number of employees, are a required to have for each employee. While this requirement has been in place since 1986, we find dentists are still sorely lacking in the knowledge and/or are failing to properly manage this area... read more →

Times are changing - again. The good news? The economy is improving. The bad news? It is creating new challenges for employers. Unemployment is down. The competition for good employees is increasing and proving harder to find quality candidates. While there are plenty of articles about hiring employees, where are... read more →

Every organization has a culture. Organizational culture represents the collective attitudes, customs, values, beliefs and principles of the team and is a product of such factors as history, products/services provided, market, technology, strategy, type of employees employed, and management style. All of which should be the result of what has... read more →

Eighty percent. That’s the number. The number that represents how much women earn compared to their male counterparts as of 2016. At the current rate of change, it will take many years until that gap is closed according to the latest studies on the matter. Some take issue with what... read more →

It all starts innocently enough. You are looking to add an associate, hygienist or dental assistant and don’t want to hire them until you become convinced that they are going to “work out”. So, you set the person up as an independent contractor to avoid (you think) the taxes, paper... read more →

When managing employees, a good rule-of-thumb for employers has always been to treat all employees the same, apply the same rules, and don’t treat some employees better or different than others. It’s a good rule, and it seems fair enough. Adhering to this, you assume, would avoid legal problems, right?... read more →

Does this policy sound familiar? “Salary information is strictly confidential. Your salary or anyone else’s should not be discussed with other employees or other unauthorized persons, on or off the job. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in immediate termination of employment at discovery of the first offense.”... read more →

Questions about whether it is better to pay employees hourly versus a salary are quite common. There are pros and cons to both approaches, as well as advocates on both sides of the fence. Some consultants recommend paying staff on an hourly basis, while other industry consultants advocate for staff... read more →

The dreaded yearly performance review...was there ever a time when any employer enjoyed them? The answer is probably not. Nothing gets a louder groan from an employer than the mere mention of performance reviews. Nobody likes them, yet everybody is told to do them, year after year. “Suck it up... read more →

Did you read our last newsletter article entitled: “The End of Performance Reviews Part 1: Ahh, Music to My Ears...”? Did it make you feel good and nervous all at once? The article indicated you might be able to give up your current performance evaluation system (that’s the feel good... read more →

In our last two newsletters, we began working our way through the process of transitioning from annual performance reviews to goal setting. The first, entitled “Ahh, Music to My Ears….The End of the Dreaded Yearly Performance Review,” focused on why you should consider a change in overall performance management. The... read more →

Mention job descriptions and usually there is one of two reactions. One, people’s eyes immediately glaze- over, or two, people automatically respond with “got ‘em, my bases are covered.” Fewer things may seem as uninteresting to talk about as job descriptions – even in the world of HR. They are... read more →

Few tasks present the challenges that interviewing does. It’s a skill that takes time and practice to get right. Even the most veteran among us will get it wrong from time to time. Yet, good interviewing skills are a necessary management function. The key to successful interviews can be boiled... read more →

Do you have employees who are required to have certain licenses and/or certifications? If yes, are those licenses and/or certifications current? When was the last time you checked? Recently a dentist checked the website of the Local State Board of Dentistry and discovered that his full-time hygienist’s license had not... read more →