Culture & People

This month’s prize winner is Andie Corcoran, Lead Veterinary Assistant at Pet Care Clinic – Kuna, in Kuna, Idaho!

Many people worry about their financial health and those in the veterinary community are not immune to that concern. Unfortunately, a person’s financial worries can be a significant cause of stress and that stress can affect wellbeing.

According to AAHA’s research, one factor consistently comes up again and again in the conversation about staff turnover: fair compensation. It’s the top driver of attrition, and it’s also a key retention factor. This article offers expert tips for addressing the number one driver of turnover among veterinary professionals.

It’s not all about the Benjamins, but a lack of fair compensation is the top driver of tech turnover. However, meeting the financial needs of this role might not be as big a stretch as you’d expect.

In this series, Emily Singler, VMD, author of Pregnancy and Postpartum Considerations for the Veterinary Team, discusses workplace hazards, parental leave, discrimination laws, and ways that veterinary leaders can support all team members better by considering the challenges of working parents.

Vet med has been mostly female since 2009 but research suggests inherent bias, unequal resources, and the “motherhood penalty” contribute to why females still trail males in income and status.

Veterinary practices can support employees who are parents by implementing nongendered policies to balance time off and other parenting considerations for fathers and nonbirthing parents.

Approximately 1 in 5 people have a neurodivergent condition. This diversity brings unique strengths and opportunities for self-care and allyship in how we work with teammates and clients who have bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other forms of neurodiversity.

In Part 2 of this 2-part article, we’ll explore strategies for calming down dealing with clients whose stress levels are high, who are showing behavior that ranges from anger to outright hostility.

Prior to the pandemic, employee development focused primarily on teaching technical skills, like how to operate the latest accounting software or inventory management system. But the pandemic showed us that skills such as communication and innovative thinking are what will enable a practice not only to survive but to thrive, especially in tough times.