Rainy Days and Paydays
Bright Smiles Dentistry: Episode 3
Dana listened to the steady drumming of rain against the roof of Bright Smiles Dentistry, watching water streak down the large front windows. The storm had rolled in fast. By early afternoon, it was just a heavy downpour, but now, as the sky darkened prematurely and the parking lot started to resemble a small lake, it was clear this wasn’t going to let up any time soon.
Most of the team had already gone home. Dr. Chang was finishing up in his office, and Janet was wrapping up some insurance claims at the front desk. Dana was about to head out herself when an emergency weather alert lit up her phone:
Flash Flood Warning. Severe weather expected overnight. Avoid travel unless necessary.
Dana frowned. If things were already this bad, by morning, conditions could be unsafe. She wasn’t going to risk her team driving through the flooded streets just to show up to a half-empty schedule of patients who wouldn’t be coming in anyway. It was time to make the call.
She knocked lightly on Dr. Chang’s office door. “The roads are already getting bad, and we’ve got flood warnings for the morning,” she said. “I think we should close for the day tomorrow.”
Dr. Chang looked up from his laptop and nodded without hesitation. “Agreed. Let’s not take any chances.”
Dana returned to the front desk and began typing an email to the team:
“Hi everyone,
Due to the severe weather, Bright Smiles Dentistry will be closed tomorrow (Friday). Please stay safe and take care. I’ll send an update as soon as we know more about reopening. Let me know if you have any immediate concerns.”
She hit send and watched the message disappear into cyberspace. The easy part was done. The hard part – managing the questions and concerns that would undoubtedly follow – was just beginning.
Addressing Employee Concerns During Unexpected Closures
Within minutes, her phone buzzed with replies.
Nina: “Are we going to get paid for today?”
Carlos: “If we’re closed tomorrow, will we have to make up the hours?”
Sally: “Can I just use PTO for today?”
Dana had barely finished reading those messages when Janet, the insurance biller, poked her head into the office. “Hey, Dana. Since I can do most of my work remotely, would you mind if I just worked from home tomorrow? That way, I can stay caught up on billing.”
Dana paused, her mind already spinning with possibilities – and complications. Approving Janet’s request seemed reasonable on the surface, but it wasn’t that simple. It could create tension if Janet worked remotely while others stayed home unpaid. Plus, she remembered reading in an HR Basecamp blog from CEDR HR Solutions, that without a formal work-from-home agreement in place, allowing one employee to work remotely opened the door to inconsistency and potential future problems.
“I’ll get back to you on that,” Dana told Janet, offering a tight-lipped smile.
Back in her office, Dana logged into backstageHR, CEDR’s online software, and detailed the situation in a message to CEDR’s advisor team, letting them know the issue was urgent. Her phone rang later that afternoon.
“We’ve got a few options here,” the advisor began. “First, let’s talk about pay. For exempt employees, they’ll need to be paid for the day if they were ready and able to work. For non-exempt employees, it depends on the policies laid out in your employee handbook that we created with you. According to that, your practice allows employees to use PTO or take unpaid leave in the event of a weather closure.”
Dana jotted down notes as the advisor continued. “As for Janet’s work-from-home request, you’re right to hesitate. Without a formal work-from-home agreement, approving it could lead to issues of fairness. It’s best to deny the request for now and explain the importance of having consistent policies in place. If remote work is something your practice wants to explore in the future, we can help you draft a formal agreement.”
Dana sighed with relief. Having a clear plan made the situation feel more manageable. She downloaded the sample communication templates CEDR provided and began drafting her response to the team.
“Hi team,
Thank you for your patience and flexibility. Here’s what you need to know about tomorrow’s closure:
For exempt employees, your regular pay will continue as usual. As per our handbook, non-exempt employees may choose to use PTO for the day or take it as unpaid leave.
Regarding remote work, it’s something we’re considering for the future, but at this time, we don’t have the structure in place to support it fairly across the team. We’ll keep you posted on any updates to this policy.
Please reach out if you have any questions. I’ll update everything on the reopening timeline as soon as we’re confident it’s safe to return.”
The Value of Clear Communication and Consistent Policies
By Monday, the rain had stopped, leaving behind puddles and debris but no major damage to the office. Dana walked the building with maintenance, checking for any signs of water intrusion. Satisfied that everything was in good shape, she started coordinating the reopening.
She reset the patient schedule, reached out to the team with the reopening plan, and made a mental note to add weather closures to the practice’s emergency preparedness plan. This experience had been a reminder that even the best plans could be tested by the unexpected – and having the right resources made all the difference.
“Thank you for handling all of that so smoothly,” Dr. Chang told Dana later that afternoon. “The team stayed calm because you stayed calm.”
Dana smiled, grateful for the acknowledgment. “It helped to have CEDR’s guidance,” she said. “They made sure I didn’t miss anything important.”
Dr. Chang nodded. “I’m glad we have them in our corner.”
Dana returned to her desk, her thoughts already turning to the next steps. Improvements were always needed – policies to refine, and processes to strengthen. But for now, the practice was back on steady ground, and that was enough.
