It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but for dental practices the lead up to Christmas can also be a particularly stressful period. Of course, while you want to embrace the spirit of the season there are a number of challenges that crop up from aiming to complete any open courses of treatments, juggling annual leave and deciding whether you will be opening over the Christmas period. It may be that you normally stay open throughout the festive season but this year you have decided to close between Christmas and New Year.
The general rule is that you do not have to give employees time off on a bank or public holiday or at Christmas if they are not included in their holiday entitlement, this is the same for full and part-time staff. Check you practice handbook/policy regarding bank holidays. Are bank holidays included as part of their holiday entitlement or are they additional days off? Check associate contracts - do they deal with practice closures? If not, you will have to negotiate with associates in relation to the arrangements. This article deals with employee annual leave options if you decide to close.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
