Summer Staffing: Vacation Coverage Strategy That Doesn't Tank Your Production

Summer Staffing: Vacation Coverage Strategy That Doesn't Tank Your Production

Summer Staffing: Vacation Coverage Strategy That Doesn't Tank Your Production

June-August is a bloodbath for dental practices. Hygienists take family vacations. Assistants request time off. Your doctor wants two weeks off. One month of poor staffing planning costs you $40K-$60K in lost production.

Most practices react: "People will take time off when they want." Smart practices plan it.

Strategy: Structured vacation blocking. In January, set your practice's official "vacation window" as June 1-August 31. Create rules:

- Only two staff members off at a time (no more) - Doctor takes planned two weeks (not scattered days) - Hygienists schedule vacation on specific dates (e.g., first two weeks of June, etc.) - You pre-budget locum coverage cost ($3,000-$5,000 for summer) so it's not a surprise

This reduces production loss from 20-25% to 8-12% compared to unplanned absence chaos.

Real numbers:

- Unplanned summer: $2,500 daily production loss due to canceled schedules, multiple people out, chaos = $50K loss across summer - Planned summer with locum budget: $500-$800 daily production loss manageable, controlled, covered = $12K loss plus $4K locum investment

Net cost difference: You're up $34K by planning instead of reacting.

Additional moves:

- Train a staff member to manage all summer scheduling in January - Hire summer interns (dental students) at lower cost ($25-$30/hr vs $45-$55 for staff) - Compress schedules (add Friday appointments, extend daily hours) instead of going dark - Pre-book 50% of summer schedules with existing patients in March-April

Most practices burn money in summer from poor planning. You can be the exception.

Plan it now for next year. You'll recover $30K-$40K you didn't know was lost.

Source: Dental Practice Seasonality and Staffing Strategy (Practice Management Institute, 2024)