The decision
A replacement policy explains what happens when a placement is unsuitable or ends. Absence cover explains who handles today's work when an assistant is unavailable. Ask about both rather than treating them as one benefit.
What to compare
Request the notice period, any replacement fee, the expected matching process and how remaining paid time is handled. Ask whether a substitute is already trained in your workflow or needs fresh onboarding. A guarantee may remove a recruitment fee without promising zero downtime.
Before you commit
For patient-facing roles, document an internal fallback for urgent messages, time-sensitive authorisations and incoming calls. Maintain a practice-owned workflow guide so another trained person can take over without relying on one assistant's memory.