Ask Shawn: Problems with the practice owner's wife

I'm a practice manager having trouble with an employee. She's lazy and unprofessional, and does almost none of the duties she's expected to handle. The problem: She's the practice owner's wife. When I approach him about it, he just says, "She's the boss." What else can I do?

—UPSET AND UNDERMINED

DEAR UPSET:

This is a terrible situation to be in and, unfortunately, it's not uncommon. Try these approaches to handling the problem:

First, ask the practice owner if you can coach his wife on performing her tasks. Hopefully she'll improve after some additional training. If the practice owner doesn't agree to this, ask him if he's ready to accept the situation like it is, with her actions upsetting you and other employees.

If this doesn't convince him that something has to change, create a 6-month report that illustrates why the problem is so pressing. Analyze figures like turnover rates, tardiness, and complaints from clients or employees, and then show these to the owner to illustrate how his wife's actions affect the practice.

Finally—at the risk of upsetting the practice owner—you could meet with the employee and ask for her perspective. Tell her you'd love to cut her some slack, but you can't set a bad example for the rest of the employees. Describe the problem in detail and how you'd like her to change.

If all of this fails to correct the problem, it might be time to look for a new job. You have few other options and you've lost power.

One final question to ask yourself: How old is the practice? If it's a newer practice, the owner could be employing his wife only until revenues pick up. If it's an older practice that should already be established, perhaps he's just trying to avoid a tough conversation with his wife. —SHAWN

Shawn McVey, MA, MSW, is a member of the Firstline and Veterinary Economics editorial advisory boards and is CEO of McVey Management Solutions in Phoenix. He's a prolific lecturer, and will present "Co-worker cohesiveness: A solid team is good for you and pets," at Firstline Live, held in conjunction with the CVC in Kansas City, on Aug. 27. For more info, visit thecvc.com.