The code of conduct is encapsulated in three documents:
Your employment contract
Your Position Description
This website, esp this page.
The Bite Philosophy Statement has been written by the staff members of Bite, to capture the values that they wish to reflect in the workplace. As team members have changed over the years, incoming staff are provided with this Philosophy to check if their values are aligned, and each year the staff gather at a workshop to refresh the statement.
Each day starts with a huddle, 30 minutes before the default first appointment. This is an opportunity for us to plan the day, share good news and recognise team members who are living the philosophy.
We'd like to call on the TSD team to consider drafting a similar statement.
A Patient-First Approach with Profitability in Mind:
At our practice, Simon leads by example, truly embodying our commitment to exceptional patient care. We believe that great service is the foundation of long-term relationships with our patients, which naturally leads to a healthy, profitable business. We structure our appointments with ample time and provide generous staffing to ensure quality care. However, we’re also mindful that we need to keep the business thriving. You'll be key in discussions about enhancing patient services and improving their oral health, even if it means making thoughtful investments today to prevent costly treatments tomorrow.
Well-Equipped Infrastructure:
Our practice has been recently refurbished and is situated in a prime location, providing a welcoming and modern environment. While we may not have every tool imaginable, we are committed to smart investments that offer a clear return. If there’s a strong business case, we’re open to acquiring new tools that enhance our service and efficiency.
Flexible, Meaningful Work Environment:
We don’t believe in rigid clock-watching. Instead, we foster a culture of give and take, where everyone contributes meaningfully. If there’s downtime, we encourage you to be proactive—whether it’s helping out in Steri, assisting at the front desk, planning events, or creating content. And if you find yourself staying late one day, you can offset that with time off when things are quieter. It’s about trust and flexibility.
Ongoing Professional Development:
We support your growth and are happy for you to engage in professional development during quiet periods. Our Larkin Membership offers valuable learning opportunities, including monthly online sessions. We encourage you to participate in these, even if it means tuning in after hours or catching up later.
Expert Mentorship:
Simon’s wealth of experience in practice management, dental psychology, and clinical excellence is at your disposal. As the lead examiner of the Australian Royal College, he’s set high standards for our practice, and his guidance consistently leads to better patient outcomes. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from the best, but it’s essential that you’re open to mentorship and willing to follow established clinical protocols.
Clinical and front office staff are expected to be at the practice for the start of the Huddle. Earlier or later start times can be negotiated. as per business needs.
Tea Breaks:
Staff members should take 2 x paid 10 minute breaks each day at a time that is mutually agreed with your line manager or Dentist. DAs and dentists should agree these times daily at their Huddle. The breaks can be taken as 1 x 20 minute break by mutual agreement.
Lunch break:
Under the Award, a staff member who works more than a 5 hour shift must take a 30-60 minute unpaid break. In general, each day has a 1 hour block when patients are not scheduled, and this is when lunch breaks should be taken.
For the purposes of calculating wages, DAs are paid for 30 minutes of the patient-free block each day, and reception staff are paid for 15 minutes of the patient-free block, in case there is work to be done. Or another way to look at this: DAs get a 30 minute unpaid break, and Reception staff get a 45 minute unpaid break. If there is no work to be done, then you can take the hour, but if work cuts into this hour, remember that everyone is paid for part of this hour. "Work cuts in" can include cleaning down a room, answering the phone, accepting mail etc.
Example:
You're a DA and your shift starts at 8am, and ends at 5.15pm. That's a 9 hr and 15 minute shift. You get paid for tea breaks, but not for your lunch break. Technically, the lunch break (the patient-free period) is 1 hr, so your should get paid for 8 hrs and 15 minutes. But because we pay for 30 minutes of that period in case there is work to be done, you are paid for 8 hrs and 45 minutes.. Therefore, a full time DA is paid an additional 2.5 hrs per week in case there is work to be done in that lunch period.
Why do we do this?
In the past we had staff members who counted every minute, and refused to work into their lunch break. That does not align with our trust-based philosophy. When cancellations and FTAs provide clinical staff with breaks, we do not micromanage you to be productive, nor do we count this as unpaid time. We trust that you will find meaningful work to keep you occupied. We also want to do right by the staff and to ensure that you are better off overall against the Award. So we now pay staff extra each day, with the expectation being that there is a reciprocal relationship. If the phone needs to be answered during your lunch break, or the day ends 15 minutes late, you should willingly help, as you have been compensated for this.
Overtime must be agreed in advance by a line manager and must be related to a specific set of time-bound tasks. The need should be related to causes outside the control of the team (e.g. staff shortages, equipment breakdown). If the need is related to poor time management or lack of skills, this will be addressed through feedback and training.
We recognise that your health, and that of your immediate family, comes above everything. However, as a business we need to plan for unexpected absences, so must have some guidelines around communication when staff members are unable to attend work. Staff members are expected to call their line manager if you are unable to attend work. An email or text is not acceptable, as a conversation to hand over WIP may be required. Sufficient notice should be given in order to allow for alternate arrangements to be attempted.
The company reserves the right to request a medical certificate in the case of absences that:
Immediately precede or follow a day off work, including RDOs, weekends and public holidays.
Are for 2 or more consecutive days
Become regular and unusual
Virtual medical consultations will not be accepted.
When planning holidays, please see guidance here.
Many of our patients are mature white-collar workers, so our behaviour and dress code must align with professional standards. If any of the guidelines below cause you concern, please discuss with management.
General Guidelines
Clothing must be clean, pressed, and businesslike, to present a professional appearance appropriate to the employee's job and work duties and allows a patient or visitor to easily identify an employee. Uniforms must be worn if available.
Footwear must be enclosed and clean, safe, in good repair. Sandals and flip flops are not permitted.
Jewellery, buttons, pins, and other accessories must be limited and unobtrusive.
Body piercings, including tongue, eye brow, and nose piercings must be removed while on duty.
Earrings are limited to two (2) per ear.
Hoop style or earrings of excessive length that pose a safety risk in patient care areas are not permissible.
Body odour should not be apparent.
Cosmetics should be appropriate to the workplace.
Hair should be clean and neatly styled.
Facial hair and nails must be neatly trimmed. Pertinent occupational safety and infection control standards in this regard for given job classifications and duties must be adhered to.
Tattoos - the following tattoos must be covered at all times when at work:
Large (>4sq cm) tattoos on the arms, hands, legs, or feet, and any neck or torso tattoos
Any tattoo that, in the opinion of senior management, provokes, alarms, offends or disparages
Clinicians
Clinical staff must keep nails short, smooth, clean and free of nail polish or artificial nails.
All hand and wrist jewellery must be removed when in the surgery
DAs and Hygienists must wear the tunics provided, with plain black pants
Shirt sleeves must be short.
During normal working hours, personal calls and texts must be limited and will not interfere with carrying out normal work duties. If the phone is needed for work use please have it in a drawer and not in sight for patients.
Proper use of mobile phones at work
To make business calls.
To use productivity apps.
To check important messages.
To make brief personal calls away from the working space of colleagues.
Employees can use their phones during breaks or during the lunch period.
Mobile phones must be put away during Huddle.
Company computers and systems are to be used for official business. No inappropriate sites are to be visited using official equipment or networks. All communications sent from and received to a company address are the property of the organisation.
Since patient records are confidential, all computers must be locked when they are not attended to. Press "Windows / L" to instantly lock your screen.
Often it's easier and quicker to speak directly or call the recipient. Nuance, emphasis, volume, sarcasm, and irony are difficult to convey via email and can often be misconstrued, leading to confusion or disagreement. Use of emojis is only appropriate if you have a close existing relationship with the recipient.
Some staff members have a unique email address in the form "s.franks@bitedental.com.au". Some have a secondary address that is shared (e.g. "reception@bitedental.com.au"). When sending an email from a shared address, always include your name in the sign-off so that the recipient knows who the sender was. Also ensure that the corporate signature is included in all new emails.
Always include a subject in your emails. This helps when searching for emails later. Do not use subjects like "Today" or "Question" as these are meaningless. Equally, do not type your entire email in the subject. A good email subject will allow the reader, without opening it, to prioritise it - they will know if it requires action, what the action will be, how disruptive this will be to their day, etc.
Action items and questions should be grouped at the end., with a clear indication of who is responsible, and by when. If the email is very long, add a summary at the start.
Use of formatted text (underline, italics, bold or UPPERCASE) can be used to highlight a point, but is often construed as shouting. Be very mindful of how your recipient might perceive this formatting.
Once a thread has reached 3-4 replies, it's often easier to talk with each other.
When you receive an email or text message with a call to action, it is polite to reply as soon as possible. This maximises efficiency and helps to ensure that decisions are made after gathering input.
Bite has built a reputation as a trusted practice, with our relationship with the patient underpinning everything that we do. The first paragraph of our Philosophy Statement says “Our patients are our friends and shall be respected as such”. Below are a few deliberate strategies that inform this relationship:
We greet the patient by first name as they enter, as you would do at your house. This shows that we see them as a person, not just a number, and is hugely powerful in building a trusting relationship. Having the patient picture in Exact is thus very important to enable all staff to do this. Further reading on this critical part here .
We do not have a TV in reception to encourage reception to have a brief chat with patients while they wait. This allays their fears, and allows them to connect with all the staff, not just their dentist.
We do not have a water dispenser in reception. Instead we offer patients water, and this interaction should spark a conversation and a connection. Add to the patient notes any “warm and fuzzies” discovered during conversation e.g. “Sue has just returned from London to visit her mother and she’s very jet lagged”
The clinicians collect our patients from reception and walk them out, demonstrating respect
The corridors are wide with rounded corners to allow the clinicians to walk side by side with patients, facilitating conversation.
The TV screens in the surgeries display personal pics from the staff, to spark interaction.
The clinicians wear civilian shirts with a logo. Feedback tells us that patients like this as they perceive the relationship as one based on trust rather than power.
In addiiton, we've introduced a lot of other initiatives, which we call "All the small things". These are important in making us stand out in a competitive and commoditised market. For a full list see here.