Talking about pay in the veterinary professions: Nicky Paull

We introduced a new pay structure into my previous practice when one of our vets came back to work part time after having a baby. We then used it for vets taking time out of the practice for part time, flexible working, phased returns from illness etc. The key point is once your team agrees a system for an open pay structure, it can work well allowing for a real flexible approach to how people work and are paid and provides transparency of time and value on different shifts.

We got together with all the vets in the practice to talk about how we would allot units to each of our work ‘sessions’ at that time, i.e., a morning, an afternoon/evening, and a night duty. Having agreed what each session was worth in units – for us it was 3 units for a morning, 4 for an afternoon/evening and 6 for a night on call, you could then work out how many units per annum were worked - i.e. average week x 52.

We then could say to anyone in the team, from new grads to senior partner, if you want to do something different, we can calculate what your unit pay is i.e. your salary divided by total units worked per annum and adjust your salary accordingly. Drop an afternoon a week you would lose 4 x your unit pay. Add in an extra night duty a month you could have an extra 6 x your unit pay a month. It worked well for us and allowed staff more autonomy over their allocated hours in a fair, open way.

More information

"Good workplaces provide transparent, fair, and equitable pay for all employees, relevant to their respective roles.” - BVA Good Veterinary Workplaces policy position

Nicky's blog is an excerpt from our new member resource: Talking about pay in the veterinary professions – a guide for employees, managers, and employers. 

The guide is about understanding pay and what it means for you, and creating mutual respect between employees and employers. It also discusses how to have effective conversations about pay and reward from all perspectives and offers information to empower individuals to know their rights and worth when it comes to pay.

It's free to download for BVA members.

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