Blog

1.     On Call / After Hours Payments

In the 2017 Kookaburra Salary Survey, respondents said that they would be interested to know how vets were being paid or compensated for on call work / after hours duties, and for being ‘on call’.

To download this Report as a printable pdf please click here https://www.vetsuppliersdirectory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Salary-Survey-2019-part-3-OOH-and-Extras.pdf

% Professional Fees

69 % of respondents who told us what percentage of professional fees for after hour work they received (127 vets) got 50%. 10% of respondents got 100%. The rest varied from 10% through to 90%. There was a range of how this was calculated – some commented that this was not including GST. Others had a sliding scale depending on the type of service eg.

• 46% surgery/consult/bandaging, 23% anaesthetics, fluids.
• 75% consult fee, 100% procedure costs, 0% medications.
• 100% of professional fee. This includes consult/call out fee and surgery fee.  Does not include radiology, anaesthesia, fluid therapy, hospitalisation.
• 50 % of exam fee and professional fee only. No other percentage for professional fees- eg xrays fluids etc
• 50% of professional fees (consult, X-ray, surgery, hospitalisation)

Only one person commented that they didn’t get paid until the client had paid.

Retainer

The value of a Retainer paid for after hours work varied considerably. Some respondents commented that they ‘lost’ the retainer once they attended a call, if they were receiving additional payment or a % of fees for the call-out. The Award allowance is currently $43.64 for each 24 hour period on call.

Hourly Rate

Some vets received an hourly rate for out of hours work – possibly considering this work as ‘overtime’. The Award does actually now include guidelines for paying overtime, but it’s unclear when these rates should be applied and what the difference between out of hours calls and overtime is. Examples of comments included:

• 20% loading;
• 30% loading;
• 15% loading on base hourly rate for overnight, Friday nights. 1.5x on Saturday and Sunday. 2x on public holidays.
• Double time
• ‘same rate even if after hours’
• Government – ‘ after hours / overtime pays 1.5 -2x normal Rate’

Fee Per Call

12% of respondents received a fee per call-out. This probably varies according to the after hours consultation fee set by the practice.

16 vets gave an indication of the fee they received, and it varied from $50 to $500.

($50 ,  $60 ,  $66 ,  $100 ,  $120 ,  $125 ,  $130 ,  $140 ,  $146 ,  $150 ,  $181 ,  $185 ,  $200 ,  $215 ,  $375 ,  $500 )

Unpaid / Part of Salary

7% of respondents (14 vets) were unpaid for after hours work, or had no additional compensation because it was considered ‘part of their salary’ , ‘expected as part of the job’, ‘reasonable unpaid overtime’. We didn’t collect information about the amount of after hours work performed by these vets.

2.     Salary Package Extras

We asked what kind of extras do vets receive in their salary package – respondents could choose multiple options from a preset list, and could also add their own comments. 452 vets responded.

There was no statistical difference between the extras received by vets working in corporate practices, and vets working in non-corporate practices, apart from Vehicle or vehicle costs – only 11.54% of respondents working in corporate practices received vehicle benefits compared to 24.07 % of respondents working in non-corporate practices.

When comparing vets classified as Full Time compared to Part Time, vets working in a full time vacancy were more likely to receive Board registration, AVA membership, and Vehicle costs.

Female Vets were more likely to receive Parental leave (11.11%) compared to Male Vets (5.08%)

We asked for extra information, and for information about any other types of benefits received, and this included the following:

• Some vets receive a monetary allowance per year, to be spent on CE or other appropriate bills, ranging from $1000 to $2000 per year
• Massage/acupuncture
• VIN membership – this was commonly mentioned
• CVE membership
• AVA interest group memberships (ASAVA, EVA etc )
• VDA membership
• VECCS membership (Vet Emergency & Critical Care Society), Vetstream,
• Beer
• Christmas bonus
• Extra Superannuation (above 9.5%) and option for salary sacrifice
• Mobile phone or phone allowance
• Extra holiday (in addition to 4 weeks standard leave)
• Parking discount, Tollway tag
• Pet Insurance, pet health care plan
• Clothing allowance
• Insurances – Income Protection, Professional Indemnity,
• Radiation License
• Rostered days off
• Sponsored Visa

© Copyright Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

2nd September 2019

HAPPINESS

This year, the veterinary shortage has continued to bite in Australia and is now affecting practices in the cities as well as rural and regional areas. The results of the Lincoln Institute survey in Australia has been in the news ( Link to SBS report) , and Kookaburra Vet Employment has been approached by multiple news outlets for interviews and comments ( link to ABC Sunshine Coast article )

A BVA (British Veterinary Association) and University of Exeter study in the UK released late in 2018 found that 37% of vets were actively thinking about leaving the profession (1,250 vets surveyed ). 59% of vets said they were either very stressed or somewhat stressed at work. A smaller Kookaburra Vet Employment survey from 2017 of just 336 vets showed that 17% of associates thought they would have left the profession in the next 5 years.

The suicide rate of vets in Australia has been found to be 4 times higher than the general population – that’s one vet every 12 weeks.

We included a question about future plans, and also a standardised question about happiness in this 2019 survey.

To download this Report as a printable pdf please click https://www.vetsuppliersdirectory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Salary-Survey-2019-part-4-Happiness.pdf

Comparing Various Subsets for Happiness

Interesting Statistically Significant differences (95% confidence level (p = .05), and >30 responses in each group)

• 30.81% of vets in non-corporate practices were ‘Very Happy’, compared to only 16.75% of vets in corporate practices
• 11.11% of vets in non-corporate practices were ‘Neither happy nor unhappy’, compared to 18.85% of vets in corporate practices
• 33.3% of male vets were ‘Very Happy’, compared to 23.9% of female vets
• 53.06% of Practice Owners were ‘Very Happy’ compared to only 21.06% of non – practice owners.

© Copyright Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

2nd September 2019

Many veterinary practices in Australia are feeling the pinch of the manpower shortage, putting vets under more pressure and contributing to dissatisfaction with work life balance and mental health problems.

So, maybe you need a Vet Tech at your clinic.

Veterinary Nursing qualification

In Australia, the current Australian national qualification for vet nursing is Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, which takes from 18 months to 2 years to complete. The Diploma in Veterinary Nursing is then an additional qualification following on from the Cert IV, for 12 months, in 3 different streams, General Practice, Surgical, and Emergency & Critical Care

Veterinary Technology qualification

Veterinary Technology is a Bachelor’s degree taking 3 years (full time), which can incorporate and extend the Cert IV in Vet Nursing. It’s offered by Charles Sturt University,   The University of Queensland,  and the University of Adelaide, (and by Massey University in New Zealand, however, this isn’t yet included in the list of Vet Tech degrees eligible for the new Australian Veterinary Nurse and Technician (AVNAT) Registration Scheme)

Information provided by CSU and the University of Queensland about their Veterinary Technology degrees suggest there is more development of skills in critical thinking and problem solving, preparation for supervisory and management roles, as well as knowledge of a wider range of animal species and knowledge and professional skills in animal management, technology and welfare that can be used beyond the clinical setting. However, extended clinical support procedures are also taught. The first cohort from CSU graduated at the end of 2018.

The University of Adelaide degree will commence with its first intake in 2020. Information provided by the University suggests the program will have a strong practical component with students performing almost 500 hours of hands-on clinical experience in a veterinary workplace and in the University’s on-site clinics and diagnostic laboratories, and could equip students with specialist expertise in one or more areas including small animals; anaesthesia; imaging; equine; farming; or practice management.

How could employing a Vet Tech help?

Some clinics, emergency and critical care hospitals, and specialist centres in Australia are already using a very effective tiered system of support staff, from kennel hands and specific customer support staff/receptionists, through trainee veterinary nurses, veterinary nurses, diploma qualified VNs, degree qualified veterinary technicians, and practice managers. This means that Veterinary Surgeons gain the time to do the work that only they are qualified for.

This tiered system can also provide a structured career path for support staff, which can improve job satisfaction. Whilst attention is finally becoming focussed on the challenges for vets surrounding mental health awareness, life balance, burnout, compassion fatigue, job satisfaction, and decisions to quit the profession, we mustn’t forget there are similar challenges for our support staff.

So, rather than trying to employ another Vet in a very tight market, could this be a solution for some clinics?

1. Employing a Veterinary Technician to help alleviate the heavy workload on vets, allowing vets to manage their Veterinary Surgeon duties more effectively
2. Which may lead to happier vets and better retention of vets in your practice
3. And even allow a pay rise for your vets, further contributing to better retention of vets

References:

Charles Sturt University
https://futurestudents.csu.edu.au/courses/animal-vet-sciences/bachelor-veterinary-technology

University of Queensland
https://future-students.uq.edu.au/study/program/Bachelor-of-Veterinary-Technology-2387

University of Adelaide
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/degree-finder/bvt_bvettech.html

Massey University
http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/programme-course/programme.cfm?prog_id=93432

Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia
https://www.vnca.asn.au/membership/recognised-qualifications/

Author:
Wendy Nathan
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment
updated 30th July 2019

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.

Kookaburra recently completed a small online survey of vets and vet nurses. We asked “Do you think you are paid appropriately considering the work that you do?”, to try to ascertain the general satisfaction with wage rates in the profession.

We received 398 responses, and 91.2% of respondents felt they were underpaid.

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.

January 2019

In the last 12 to 18 months, the veterinary shortage has continued to bite in Australia and is now affecting practices in the cities as well as rural and regional areas. The results of the Lincoln Institute survey in Australia have been in the news this month ( Link to SBS report) , and Kookaburra Vet Employment has recently been approached by multiple news outlets for interviews and comments ( link to ABC Sunshine Coast article )

A BVA (British Veterinary Association) and University of Exeter study in the UK released late in 2018 found that 37% of vets were actively thinking about leaving the profession (1,250 vets surveyed ). 59% of vets said they were either very stressed or somewhat stressed at work. A smaller Kookaburra Vet Employment survey from 2017 of just 336 vets showed that 17% of associates thought they would have left the profession in the next 5 years.

The suicide rate of vets in Australia has been found to be 4 times higher than the general population – that’s one vet every 12 weeks. Here at Kookaburra we feel the impact of losing a veterinary colleague way too frequently.

So is there a shortage of vets – and is it due to vets quitting the profession?

In absolute terms looking at the widely reported figures in Australia, NZ, the UK and the USA for numbers of vets compared to numbers of pets – no, there shouldn’t be a shortage. So why are there so many veterinary vacancies? There are between 11 and 12,000 vets registered in Australia, and there are approximately 2,200 veterinary practices.

This time 5 years ago, in 2014, Kookaburra Vet Employment had 170 jobs listed for vets, and 20% of those jobs were suitable for new graduates (the clinic could provide the support and training needed for a new or recent grad). It was taking 8-9 weeks to fill a vet job.

At the moment (January 2019) Kookaburra Vet Employment has 437 current vet jobs listed, and 34% of those will now consider a new graduate. Vacancies are being listed for an average of 13 weeks. However, in the last 3 months, 11% of vacancies listed with us have been removed because the clinic either gave up looking, or restructured their clinic staff to cope. Some practices on our books have been advertising continuously for over 3 years without filling their vacancy.

So what impact does pay rates have?

Kookaburra did a small survey (including vets and vet nurses) in 2018 and found that out of 167 respondents, 73% had not had a pay rise in the last 12 months.  Out of 235 respondents, 70 % said that a pay rise would make them reconsider if they were considering looking for another job, and 21% said that it may make them reconsider.
Most vets earn in the range of $60,000 to $90,000 pa.

An interesting study, again from the BVA and University of Exeter, released in 2018, investigated gender bias in the veterinary profession ( link to BVA Employers’ Study 2018) . The profession is becoming increasingly feminised as more than 50% of recent graduates are female. The VetFutures study surveyed 260 employers and managers. 42% believed there was no gender discrimination in the veterinary profession – but then that same section when tested in the survey offered males a higher salary than females. Could the feminisation of the profession be linked to stagnating pay rates?

As an employment agency we hear from both employers and job seekers.

For employers, retaining suitably qualified staff seems to be a challenge, however, we have found that very many clinics have expanded dramatically over the last 10 years or so, and have sought to employ more vets. Do they really have an increased workload and associated practice income, or are they trying to create a better work/life balance? Without an increase in practice income, new vacancies cannot be supported. Kookaburra has also seen a number of new practices set up in areas already well supplied by vets – including private practices, house call practices, as well as corporate practices and in-pet store clinics.  This has seemed to outstrip closure of clinics.

Associate vets are looking for a practice where they are paid well according to the work they do, where they know their work is valued by colleagues and clients, where they have accessible role models and mentors, access to and support for continuing education, a good work/life balance, and a modern well equipped workplace with trained supportive staff. Practices that provide this are likely to have less trouble recruiting, and more success at retaining the staff in whom they have made an investment.

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.