WORK PLACE ISSUES

AUTHORIZATION, DELEGATION & SUPERVISION
According to The Dental Disciplines Act, Section 24 (1) Dental assistants can perform authorized acts (consistent with formal education and SDAA records) according to their licence. Section 24 (2) refers to delegation by an employer. Section 25 (2) indicates that dental assistants can perform authorized acts when he/she is employed by a dentist or an agency that has a contract with a dentist (Government of SK/Canada, Personal Care Home, University/SIAST etc.). Since dental assistants cannot diagnose, SDAA would propose that public health employer (and consulting dentist) would need to devise operational policies that would enable (delegate) the dental assistant to brush/teach/take radiographs/preliminary impressions/conduct screening/place sealants etc. for clients as required. Additionally, The Dental Disciplines Act, and SDAA Regulatory Bylaws are silent on supervision and therefore the SDAA takes the position that supervision is not required. This is consistent with most self regulated professions.

WHAT ABOUT PANDEMICS?
Health Care professionals involved in public planning assure health care workers that a pandemic will be part of our future as health care workers. Health Districts and emergency planning departments have developed policies to assist businesses to deal with a pandemic.. You may find the information contained in the following link to the Saskatoon Health Region recommendations helpful... Pandemic-SHR

LABOUR STANDARDS FOR EMPLOYEED IN THE DENTAL PROFESSION
Know your Rights - Check out Labour Standards

LABOUR STANDARDS - 4 WEEKS HOLIDAY ELIGIBILITY
There was a question to the Labour Standards officer at the April professional development event regarding when an employee was eligible for 4 weeks of holidays... Here is the answer provided by Glen Brooman:

Section 30(1) of the Act states:
30(1) Every employee to whom this Act applies is entitled:
(a) subject to clause (b), to an annual holiday of three weeks after each year of employment with any one employer;
(b) to an annual holiday of four weeks after the completion of ten years of employment with one employer and after the completion of each subsequent year of employment with that employer.

So, it appears that employees become entitled to four weeks vacation at the end of 10 years of employment with the same employer.

JOB BOARD POSTING FORM
link to Posting Form

NAME TAG ORDER FORM - Click link for order form
link to Name Tags

INCIDENT REPORT
When an incident occurs in the workplace where there is potential for a complaint or other situation, dental staff would be well advised to document the occurance while the detail are fresh in your mind. An incident report (utilized in hospitals and other heatlh care institutions) can be downloaded, completed and inserted in the patients file
link to Incident Report

Protect yourself and your loved ones.. CDAA BENEFITS www.cdaabenefits.ca