Firing an employee who damages your practice and/or your reputation is certainly justifiable. But taking retaliatory action to get even is not—and can prove extremely costly. Here’s how to handle the situation correctly.

Suppose you discover that one of your long-term, trusted employees has been embezzling from you, forging your name on prescriptions, or stealing your supplies and selling them. These actions are extremely hurtful, and even infuriating. How dare that employee do that to you, after all you’ve done for them! Those emotions are certainly normal and to be expected. And you’re certainly justified in immediately terminating that employee, even in states requiring just cause (a good reason) to do so.

After the termination is accomplished, your next thought may be to retaliate by deducting the damages you sustained from their final paycheck, or even delaying payment of their final paycheck until the dust clears and you can determine the full extent of the damages they caused. After all, it is your practice and you’re legally justified in recovering the damages, right?

While getting revenge by taking these actions may feel good emotionally, it can carry a huge price tag. Yes, you do own your practice and can run it