This blog is specific to employers and business owners who license is threatened by the Boards.
The letter arrives in the mail, and you open it with trembling fingers. You start to read and your heart sinks: your professional license is under investigation. Now what?
We hope this scene never happens to you, but if it does, there are right ways and wrong ways of handling it. The right way is to do what you can to keep your office intact, by ensuring that your best people don’t run for the hills. Chances are that your license will survive the investigation, but the same cannot be said for your practice. Here are some tips for keeping the ship afloat.
Be Honest with your Staff
When you learn that your license is under attack, your first instinct will be to hide this from your employees. Even if you could, you shouldn’t. Your activities will likely be restricted while you’re under investigation, but it’s a bad idea to let your employees find out that way. Rather, call the office together for a group meeting and explain what is happening. Be forthright and upfront with the facts of the case as much as is prudent. (Speak with a license defense attorney first, so you have a better grasp or what you should and shouldn’t disclose.) Remind your team members that you can’t do this without them, and that they are the lifeblood of this practice. Be sure to also emphasize the confidential nature of the matter and inform them not to disclose it to non-employees.
Rearrange and Step Back
When your license is being challenged, you may be temporarily prevented from performing certain duties integral to your work. Besides defending your license, your job is to make sure the practice survives. That means offloading whatever work you can to someone competent. It also may mean taking a back seat to many of the practice’s day-to-day operations. If you give your employees the responsibility to run the office until your return, you might be surprised how enthusiastically and effectively they will rise to the challenge.
Don’t Hide Your Past
The other side to this coin is hiring good people after the storm has blown over. Much as when you first learned of your troubles, there will be a temptation to hide your past once you’re back up and running. Potential hires will likely know your history already, so be prepared to answer their tough questions. Be as forthright and transparent as you can. People are forgiving, and those who hold your past against you probably wouldn’t fit in well with your practice anyway.
You didn’t ask for this storm, but now you must weather it. We can help. Call our qualified, insightful Texas license defense lawyers immediately for a confidential consultation.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
