Speak Out August 2021

Ethics

HANDING IN YOUR RESIGNATION The ethical and professional factors

As a qualified speech pathologist there are ethical and legal factors to consider when you are planning to leave your current employment. The 2020 Code of Ethics obliges speech pathologists to act with professionalism, integrity, respect and honesty, at all times, but it can be especially pertinent during a difficult conversation. If you are considering leaving your current place of employment it is important to be honest and transparent with your employer about your intentions to leave and reasons for doing so. Whenever possible you should give your employer a reasonable notice period for leaving, provided in-person or at least in a discussion, and then followed up in writing. These discussions can be challenging: however, are made easier if you maintain a respectful and professional relationship with your employer from the start. You should consult your workplace contract for information on your agreed notice period and if necessary, seek HR advice if you need more support. When you are preparing to leave your employment, it is important you discuss and agree with your employer what duties will be completed by the end of your contract, or by an agreed date. Ethically, and legally, you are required to complete all of your clinical notes, clinical reports and assessments for all of the clients on your caseload and if you are an employee, return any equipment and clinical files that do not belong to you. It is important to adhere to client confidentiality and privacy policies throughout this process. It is also important you discuss and agree in advance with your employer if you will be providing a handover and if so, in what format, to avoid having a large

workload at the end of your contract. It is important to give your active clients notice of your intention to leave so that they have time to prepare for your leaving and do not feel abandoned. The exact details of what is told to the clients is at the discretion of the business owner, so should be discussed and agreed to prior to having that conversation with clients. Ideally this should be done face-to-face at your next appointment or via telephone and then followed up in writing if required. If you are a sole practitioner or there are no other speech pathologists within the business to takeover the client, then you are ethically obliged to give information about appropriate options for speech pathology services they can access to continue their care after your services end. It is unethical to try to take clients with you, give them information about your new place of employment or entice them away from their current service, unless this has been expressly agreed to by your current employer, preferably in writing. If there are concerns about access to ongoing services, it may be appropriate to have a conversation with your employer to explore options in that regard. Throughout the process it is important to maintain clear and respectful communication links with your clients and employer until all of your duties have been completed and finalised. If you are unsure about how to approach leaving your current place of employment, please contact the SPA Ethics Team for further support on ethics@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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Speak Out | August 2021