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There is often a direct correlation between those who are causing the greatest challenges in your team and those who are the most active on social media platforms (Facebook, Insta, WhatsApp).
Social media is a garden fence, over which people can criticise, condemn, complain or spread doctrine.
The news on increasing hourly rates for dental nurses and on remuneration and working conditions for hygienists and therapists seems to spread, like a bushfire, faster than in other sectors of dentistry - evidenced (for me) by the fact that mentioning this in my own client workshops generates nods of agreement from both managers and owners.
Whilst I'm all in favour of people earning what they are worth (and a review of some dental pay has been long overdue), there are self-appointed digital shop stewards in the workforce, using social media to spread discontent and driven mainly by a desire to "get at the bosses".
They even include falsified whistleblowing in their repertoire of revenge tactics if things don't go their way.
Behaviour that I haven't seen since the 70's and 80's, when some politically motivated Trades Unionists were more interested in bringing down "the system" and advancing their own agendas than representing the real needs of their members.
It's a great shame that the sterling work done by those who represent these sectors at national level is sometime undone by the unregulated activity of the digital militants amongst those they represent.
One word of advice for Employers - when you are recruiting, be sure to check the social channels of those you are interviewing - just in case you are meeting with a militant.
You don't want to be the next in the line of fire.