In the often-confusing world of HR and employment law, it’s crucial for dental practice owners to discern between exempt and non-exempt employees. This classification has important implications, especially when it comes to wage and hour regulations and overtime eligibility. In this post, I’ll cover the key differences between these two categories and provide practical tips for distinguishing between exempt and non-exempt employees in your dental practice.

The Basics

Before we dive into the finer points that help determine these two categories of employees, let’s establish a basic understanding of what makes an employee exempt or non-exempt:

Exempt Employees:

• Exempt employees are typically salaried and are not entitled to overtime pay, regardless of the number of hours worked in a week.
• These employees are exempt from certain provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regarding minimum wage and overtime pay.
• (Hint) Exempt employees often hold professional, managerial, or administrative roles within your dental practice.

Non-Exempt Employees:

• Non-exempt employees are generally paid hourly and are eligible for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week.
• They are fully covered by FLSA regulations, including minimum wage and overtime provisions.
• Non-exempt employees typically perform routine, non-managerial tasks.

Going a Bit Deeper

While the basic definition is useful to provide a general sense of an employee’s classification, it’s not always enough.  Here are few more tips for telling the difference:

• Job Duties and Responsibilities: Examine the employee’s role and responsibilities within the dental practice. Exempt employees usually have managerial, administrative, or professional duties, while non-exempt employees tend to perform operational or routine tasks.

• Salary Level: As of the date of this post, employees who are paid less than $23,600 per year ($455 per week) are nonexempt. (Employees who earn more than $100,000 per year are almost certainly exempt.)

• Supervisory Role: Exempt employees often have a supervisory or managerial role where they oversee the work of others. Non-exempt employees are more likely to be supervised.

• Educational Requirements: Exempt positions often (but not always) require higher levels of education or specialized training. Typically, non-exempt positions may have fewer educational requirements.

• Independent Judgment: Exempt employees typically exercise a greater degree of independent judgment in their work, making decisions that impact the practice’s operations.

When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to check with the source.  Here are the FLSA Guidelines to help you classify employees correctly. It’s important to check these guidelines on a regular basis as specifics do change from time to time. 

It’s worth noting that misclassifying an employee can result in legal consequences and financial penalties for your practice. Therefore, it’s important to seek legal advice or consult with a qualified HR professional to ensure you are complying with employment regulations. But maintaining legal compliance is not the only reason to understand the distinction, it’s also a critical aspect of maintaining a harmonious and constructive team dynamic in your dental practice.

Should you have any questions, STAC Bizness Solutions is here to help!  Feel free to visit us at www.stacbiz.com or call us at 844-424-9637.

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