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We’re all getting excited about our Office Christmas party – but here’s a quick reminder about the tax implications from the ATO Grinch!

If your business holds a Christmas party:

• on a working day, on your business premises, and only for your current employees, you don’t pay fringe benefits tax (FBT) for the food and drink
• off your business premises, or the party includes associates of employees (such as their partners), you don’t pay FBT if the party is a minor benefit – that is, the cost for each person is less than $300 and it would be considered unreasonable to treat it as a fringe benefit
• that includes clients, you don’t pay FBT for the costs relating to the clients.

If you give your employees a Christmas gift, you don’t pay FBT if the value of the gift is less than $300 per person and it would be considered unreasonable to treat it as a fringe benefit.

If the Christmas party is not subject to FBT, you can’t claim income tax deductions (or GST) for the cost of the party.

https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/hiring-and-paying-your-workers/fringe-benefits-tax/types-of-fringe-benefits/entertainment-related-fringe-benefits/how-to-work-out-fbt-on-entertainment

Quick Guide to FBT (Fringe Benefits Tax)

Fringe Benefits

A fringe benefit is a payment made to an employee but in a different form to salary or wages. Benefits made to volunteers or contractors are NOT fringe benefits. A fringe benefit is provided “in respect of employment”. It can also be a benefit given to an associate of the employee. So, for example if an employer pays the gym fees of an employee’s spouse, this is considered a fringe benefit provided to an associate of the employee.

Examples of fringe benefits include:

• allowing an employee to use a work car for private purposes
• car parking
• paying an employee’s gym membership
• providing entertainment by way of free tickets to concerts
• reimbursing an expense incurred by an employee, such as school fees
• giving an employee a discounted loan

Some work-related items (mainly used for work purposes) are exempt benefits. The exact exemption rules vary for small businesses:

• Portable electronic devices
• Software, protective clothing, tools of trade

‘Minor benefits’ are also exempt

• When it’s both less than $300
• And ‘unreasonable for it to be treated as a fringe benefit’

Fringe Benefits Tax – FBT

FBT is the amount of tax that would have been paid by the employee if they had paid for the benefit out of their own wages, at the top marginal tax rate including the medicare levy (47%) – eg. To buy a gym membership costing $1,100 including GST, the wages required would be $2,075: – $975 tax and $1,100 membership.

Instead of paying the employee extra salary of $2,075, the employer pays the gym membership of $1,100, claims $100 GST credits, and pays the tax required directly to the ATO as FBT. The employer can claim an income tax deduction for both the cost of the gym membership, and the cost of the FBT.
The employee then does not pay income tax on the fringe benefit.

The FBT year is from 1st April to 31st March, and a FBT return must be lodged each year.

For more information visit https://smallbusiness.taxsuperandyou.gov.au/expense-payments-fringe-benefits-tax and https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/hiring-and-paying-your-workers/fringe-benefits-tax

Author:
Wendy Nathan
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.

So you’ve been searching through the abundance of veterinary industry job ads listed on Kookaburra’s site or App and have found yourself a dream job – Yay you!

Now what?

How do you convince the Recruiter that you are the person they have been looking for… the one they NEED?

Let’s look at ways to impress and not depress them 😊. Resumes are not known to be exciting discussion points, but they are necessary at some point. 

Whether you’re a graduate looking for first employment, someone moving to a new location, seeking a career change or making a career progression, you will need to update your resume, and just like everything, the standards and formats change, so it’s important to be current and move with the times. 

Resume or CV? We mostly use the word Resume here in Australia, and for the purpose of his article we’ll use Resume.

It’s beneficial to view your Resume as the clever marketing tool of You. 

This article mainly concentrates on the Resume, but at the end I’ll also touch on the very important ‘Cover Letter’ which can have an impactful way of creating a first impression. 

Regardless of whether you are applying with a small independent or a large company, unfortunately if your resume or cover letter doesn’t make the cut in comparison to others, and instead bores or confuses the reader into a micro-sleep – you may not get to an interview.

It starts at the top..

The top third of your resume is where you have a brief moment to captivate & intrigue the reader with a Profile section. 

Profile. 

This is a summary section where you can use a few sentences to highlight your skills and experience & achievements. Also cater your profile to address the qualities or skills being required in the application. 

1. Use keywords which are used in the Job Description in the ad so it resonates with the recruiter – speak their language.
2. Write the Profile in ‘first person implied’ . This is taking the “I” and “My” out and replacing with a verb.  This sounds powerful, shows action and outcomes. A bit like someone announcing you walking into a room!

Eg: “Qualified Cert IV Vet Nurse with 15 years experience working with small animals, supporting vets in surgery in procedures such as IV catheter & blood collection. Friendly and understanding with animals and humans alike – owner of 2 dogs & 3 cats! Enjoys a dynamic fast paced workplace and implementing systems and changes to streamline an effective and productive clinic. More than advanced in the operation of Ezyvet & Vet Radar. Looking for further career progression in a community minded & progressive clinic. “

3. Speak from the heart. Recruiters are looking for glimpses of you so don’t be afraid to bring your personality or story into this section. This is where you can drop in insightful facts about yourself eg “Grew up loving animals working on a dairy farm”
4. Be Factual. It sort of goes without saying, but don’t say you can do something which you can’t! It will catch up with you eventually.
5. Avoid using clichés or filler jargon such as : –  passionate, diligently, thoroughly, strategic, team player, strong work ethic, detail oriented. 
6. Adjust your Profile section for each individual application to best market yourself for each particular role and work place. 

Under the Profile

Contact Details, Name, Email & Mobile. 

• For privacy purposes you don’t need to place your home address. Most contact is done by phone or email – there will be no snail mail acknowledgement or rejection letter. You can put your address on your Contract when you get the job 😉
  • You  could put your Residing Suburb/City if you want the recruiter to know that you are within a reasonable distance showing your short travel is not an issue.
• Ensure your email is professional or industry related DON’T USE your tomboypartay@ email you’ve had since uni!
  • Side Note: Make sure your message bank message is professional, it might need an update as well?

Employment History Section

• List your previous employment from most recent at the top.(Recruiters comment that this area is often ordered incorrectly and makes for a confusing read)
• For each previous employment show:
  • The Company Name
  • Your role there
  • Start Month & Year, Finished Month & Year
  • An overview or summary of your responsibilities and achievements, which will be directly applicable to the job you are applying for now. 
• Only show a maximum of your past 15 years work history

Education Section

• Again, the most recently completed at the top. The recruiter may find it fascinating where you spent your high school years, but they are really more interested in your most recent study & education. 
• Course or qualification & Institution’s name, & year graduated
• Any short courses which may show more specialised attention to a certain area or skill 

Skills

• A small section normally at the bottom of the page.
• It’s a list of your proficiencies for the recruiter to highlight your abilities quickly.
• List these skills in bullet point form.
• Identify skills required from the Job description and list those which you fulfill. Basically this shows how you ‘tick the recruiters boxes’ so to speak.
• If there’s an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) used to scan the resume, it may assist to have keywords appearing from the job’s ad to highlight your application.

Finally – The Cover Letter

Spend some time on this. It’s a super important letter of introduction which will introduce your resume. Often ‘optional’ , it is recommended to include a Cover Letter..

It’s your chance to grab the recruiter’s attention with your personality and story. Speak from your heart directly to the recruiter to show how perfect you fit the role. 

One of the big reveals that recruiters are looking for is… your WHY. In this letter address: 

• WHY you are applying as in why you were attracted to apply
• WHY you would be perfect in this role
• WHY do you want to work for this company/business. Have you heard good things about the company? If you are applying for a role in a large company – have you worked for this company previously?
• Why did all your previous life experiences bring you to this point right now to apply for THIS job.

In addition..

• Who are the hirers? Be prepared, by doing a little bit of research. So much information is available to us so you can look at the company’s website, Facebook, Google reviews, Instagram & LinkedIn This will give you an indication of the culture and values of the workplace which can help you write your Cover Letter & resume.
• The Best Resumes are clean and simple. No need to put in it that time your Poodle won best haircut last year at the Dog show. This does not make you a good candidate for the job – unless you are applying for a Dog Grooming position!!
• Don’t rinse and repeat your Cover Letter. Repeating, duplicating and sending out the same general information is boring and lazy & the reader gets the impression that little effort has been made.

Good luck with your applications and remember to ask after your submissions if there is any feedback on your application format or gaps in the information delivered so you can improve – they may give you feedback.

Author:
Rachael MacLaren
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.

As the veterinary industry faces increasing levels of consolidation, it’s important to be aware of ownership of practices, as it can factor in to decisions about job applications. Some ‘independently owned’ practices are starting to promote this as an attractive option to job applicants, and new graduates are faced with a barrage of promotion from the major consolidators, who are able to offer attractive graduate training packages.

So, who are the major players?

Around 60% of veterinary practices in the U.K. are owned by six large consolidators, according to the CMA (the UK Competition and Markets Authority). The CMA has identified six large corporate groups (CVS, IVC Evidensia, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home, VetPartners) owning veterinary practices, including three that are owned by private equity firms.  After an initial review in September 2023, The CMA has reached a provisional decision to open a formal market investigation.

In the United States, about 30% of general practices and 75% to 80% of specialty practices are owned by consolidators, together accounting for at least 50% of industrywide revenue, by the reckoning of Chicago-based Brakke Consulting.

Levels of ownership concentration in Australia are lower, though by how much is unclear. According to data compiled by IBISWorld in 2023, VetPartners controls some five per cent of the Australian veterinary industry compared with Greencross, which has a 6.1 per cent share. The remaining 88.9 per cent is split among the remaining operators, many of whom are single-practice businesses. Australian consolidators have also acquired veterinary education facilities, pet crematoria, pet stores, and pathology businesses.

Some of the major Australian consolidators at the moment are:

• Vetpartners –  acquired by Swedish private equity firm EQT (BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII) in 2023. Vetpartners practices are individually branded, but also incorporate some GP groups such as Vetwest and AdelaideVet, and a growing ream of referral centres including Southpaws, Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre, North Shore Veterinary Specialist Centre, Sydney Veterinary Emergency & Specialists, Peninsula Vet Care, and Perth Veterinary Specialists.
• Greencross – acquired by US private equity firm TPG Capital (55%) in 2019. A 45% stake is owned by AustralianSuper and HOOP. There has been some interest in the group from Wesfarmers. GP clinics are branded Greencross, and there’s a network of Animal Emergency Centres, and also the Animal Referral Hospital group. Greencross also owns Petbarn, Animates, City Farmers and Habitat Pet Supplies.
• Apiam Animal Health Limited, including Furlife Vet  companion animal clinics – ASX listed public company. With 80 clinics, Apiam is touted to be an attractive target for a buyout.
• Vets Central – Pemba Capital Partners, Australian private equity firm (2021). Over 45 clinics according to the Pemba Capital Partners website. Pemba Capital Partners also has an interest in Queensland Veterinary Specialists, and VSA in New Zealand (Veterinary Specialists Aoteara).
• CVS – CVS Group plc – UK listed public company currently expanding their consolidation of clinics in Australia, currently standing at around 28.
• Petstock – Petspiration Group. 55% owned by Woolworths since the end of 2023
• OurVet – PetO –  Australian owned private company. In 2024 PetO has taken over the practices divested by the Petspiration Group following the Woolworths deal (41 stores and 25 co-located vet clinics, branded Best Friends, Our Vet, My Pet Warehouse and Pet City), to add to a handful of clinics in Sydney.
• Animal Emergency Australia, AES – Independent Employee Owned. Practices in 6 states.
• Small Animal Specialist Hospital, SASH – Independent Vet Owned, private equity company has a minority stake

So how about New Zealand? Vet Clubs are being corporatized and clinics are also being consolidated, although it may not be as immediately obvious.

• Vetpartners – owned around 50 clinics in NZ in 2023. Including Pet Doctors (most now de-branded). Foreign owned – acquired by Swedish private equity firm EQT (BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII) in 2023
• Vetora – Vet Club
• Vetlife Animal Health Partners – vet club/private company
• VetEnt – Veterinary Enterprises Group Limited, Petfirst – private company
• Anexa Veterinary Services – Anexa FVC – private company

The Kookaburra Vet Employment Salary Survey in 2022 highlighted some differences between corporate and non-corporate practices, one of which was the ‘happiness’ scores (243 responses).

It’s to be hoped that as levels of consolidation increase, these companies take the crisis in veterinary mental health seriously, and implement measures to improve support and working conditions for all their employees.

Author:
Wendy Nathan
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.

It has been interesting to read the NSW Parliamentary Committee report from its Inquiry into the veterinary workforce shortage in NSW. ( See Report ) The committee has made over 30 recommendations to help address the concerns demonstrated by the significant number of stakeholders who contributed to the enquiry.

The mention by Southern Cross University of their planned Veterinary School prompted me to compare our schools in Australia & New Zealand to the ones in the UK. Those of us who graduated some time ago may be surprised at the growth that has taken place in the veterinary education sphere.

Author:

Wendy Nathan
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.

Is your clinic seeking “A silver-tongued sailor with the ability to calm even the most frightened parrot“, or just “A vet nurse proficient in handling animals “?

Giving a ‘write like a pirate’ prompt to AI would give you the first quote – but how do you persuade AI to write the kind of ad that really reflects your vacancy? I’ve spent some time researching the ability of AI to help us create an impactful and informative creative job advert (ok, maybe ‘playing with AI prompts’ and sharing the consequent humour with the Kookaburra office might be more accurate) , and these are my suggestions if you’d like to jump on the AI bandwagon.

The purpose of using AI currently is to give you a draft to work from and edit specifically to your clinic. It won’t be perfect straight off the bat however you can keep editing in more details and adding or removing sections until you’re happy with the end result. It may take a bit longer the first time round as you get used to using AI but it will save you time down the track.

If you do not have a preferred AI already, there is a list of a few free versions you can try out at the bottom of this post.

Creating a Draft

AI works off “prompts” or text inputs to generate a reply. The more specific and clear you are, the higher the quality of the response will be. The field to enter your prompts is usually located at the bottom of the chat window with a message like “Enter a prompt here” or “Ask me anything..”. To submit your prompt, you can either use the Enter key or click the “Submit message” button on the righthand side of the text box.

Information I recommend you consider using in your prompts:

• Position/Job Title
• Qualification requirements (if applicable)
• Location
• Nature of work
• Employment type (e.g. casual/full-time/contract)
• Client base
• Clinical facilities
• Clinic culture (e.g., flexible working arrangements, team outings)
• Employee benefits/perks
• Holidays
• Career progression and/or training opportunities
• Salary range
• Unique selling points (Identify what really sets your clinic apart from others)

Including pre-written sections – If you have lists or something you would like to include already written up you can include “create a section to insert a list / paragraph” in your prompt (handy to show off your equipment or include testimonials).

Feel like your advert is missing something? You can ask what else might improve the advert from the AI to see if there is something you haven’t considered. Just a reminder to double check what the AI is recommending e.g., Backpacks are the same as parachutes when jumping out of planes, People should eat rocks for vitamins and minerals, gasoline-infused spaghetti recipes – you know, the usual. Google’s AI Overviews recently gave some bizarre recommendations.

Prompt examples

Below are two prompts to show the difference between a basic and detailed input, try editing them to your clinic and see the difference! You can ask the AI to re-write the advert with themes such as Superhero, Fairytale, Travel, Sports etc. This is probably more suitable for writing birthday invitations, but still a fun exercise to see what the AI can come up with – see the ‘rewrite as a Pirate’ prompt

Being polite to the AI never hurts. Who knows, it might help out in the robot uprising in the future.

Google Gemini was used in these examples.

BASIC PROMPT:

Hello, can you please create a job advert for a small animal veterinarian in Brisbane.

DETAILED PROMPT:

Can you please create a job advert for a small animal veterinarian. The position is full-time with the option for part-time. Our clinic is located in Mount Gravatt, Brisbane QLD. Our team culture is friendly and very supportive. The remuneration is based on experience but will be 75,000-120,000. Our clinic is independently owned. BVSc or equivalent qualification and registration to practice in Queensland required. Leave a section for us to include a list of equipment. Applications will be via email. Include details about Mount Gravatt that are important for people considering moving and don’t know the area. Keep it under 800 words.

 PIRATE PROMPT:

ok, now rewrite it as a Pirate.

Editing your advert

To get the text out of the AI, you can copy it into a word document either by highlighting and copying (right click > copy or Ctrl + C) or clicking the copy icon located at the top or bottom of the generated text (this feature is not available on all AI). You can now edit the advert as required to make it suitable for your clinic.

Have Fun!

AI may not have all the answers but Kookaburra can help you a bit further with our blog post “How To Attract Your New Vet” . Using the information provided and editing the advert to make it your own will really help attract great applicants.

Free versions to use

ChatGPT 3.5 current up to January 2022, data is limited and may not be up to date when listing information (e.g., local attractions, shops, highways/roads etc). Unlimited prompts, no sign up required.

Microsoft Copilot current “up to some point in 2021” (the AI’s own words). Copilot has 4 prompts maximum without signing in however you can create an account for more prompts.

Google Gemini current up to December 2023. As it is a Google service, it will try to find reliable information through Google Search for anything more recent. Unlimited prompts, Google/Gmail account required for use. It also has a great feature where you can view alternative drafts generated, giving more options to work from with less inputs.

Author:

John Maude
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.