Guide to Dental Employment Agreements
May 31, 2019Have you just finished dental school and got an offer to join a dental practice? Congratulations! But before you start celebrating, it’s important to understand what a dental employment agreement is before you sign on the dotted line.
What Is a Dental Employment Agreement?
A dental employment agreement will basically show what kind of employment you are joining. For example, are you a full-time employee or a part-time contractor? Will you be working for a large, traditional practice or a small, time-share group practice? All of these things have a real impact on your career and daily responsibilities in your new role so should be explicitly laid out in your dental employment agreement. By having all this information in writing, you’ll be able to better understand the relationship between you and your employer, leaving no doubt about the nature of your employment. It’s best to have a legal professional look over your dental employment agreement to ensure that nothing seems ambiguous or strange, and that you understand everything in the document. Moreover, keep in mind that you can always negotiate what’s in the dental employment agreement!
What Information Should Be in the Dental Employment Agreement?
In addition to stating the kind of relationship you’ll have with your employer, a dental employment agreement should address other items of relevance, such as:
- Length of your contract & timeline of terminating the contract
- Location of your work
- Requirements of the employee
- Causes for termination
- Reasonable expectations of the work environment & stock of supplies
- Structure of bonuses, compensation & details about when & how employees are paid
- Vacation & sick day policy
- Insurance coverage & benefits
- Confidentiality issues
- Non-compete clauses
- Process for dispute resolution
More Questions? We Have Answers!
There can be a lot of information in this one document, so read your dental employment agreement carefully and thoroughly. Make sure that you understand all the conditions and ask questions about areas that seem confusing or not right to you. And if you have any other questions about dental employment agreements, contact us today.