Going into the dental profession requires years of education, followed by serious personal risk as you try to establish your own professional practice. However, if you are like many dentists, you didn’t spend time pursuing an advanced degree just to be an employee of a corporate dental chain.
Starting a business on your own requires a lot of investments even if you are a skilled dentist who graduated at the top of your class. It might be years before you turn a profit because of how long it takes to develop your own patient base.
Buying a dental practice could speed your professional growth
Taking over an existing dental practice could be a faster and more profitable solution for someone just starting out in the industry. However, when you buy a business, you have to take on some of its existing liabilities.
Those liabilities will include financial obligations to staff members that you don’t have a personal background with and whose credentials you did not validate. Can you terminate workers as part of a dental practice acquisition?
With the right steps, you can change the workforce
The company that you buy technically has obligations to its workers. You may need to review the contracts that the business has with each individual employee to make sure that you won’t assume long-term financial responsibilities or an obligation to pay out a generous severance package.
You will generally need to conduct termination procedures in compliance with an employee’s contract. Offering some severance or giving them the opportunity to quit rather than to face termination could make for a smoother process. You may also want to attend training or testing with the existing staff to see if any of them would make a worthwhile addition to your team.
Documentation is key in contested terminations
Sometimes, workers will be angry about the changes at the company and they try to fight back when you fire them by claiming that you violated the law or their right. The more documentation you have regarding your interactions with that worker and your reasons for the termination, the easier it will be for you to defend your decision if necessary in civil court.
Considering the potential risks before buying an existing dental business can help you make a more informed decision about which practice to buy and what steps to take afterward.