Notebook: July 2020

Employees Will Sacrifice a Pay Raise for Better Benefits

A new Willis Towers Watson survey to research global benefits attitudes reveals that employees are increasingly willing to sacrifice additional pay in exchange for more generous retirement, healthcare, and paid-time-off benefits.

The survey found that half of employees would rather receive more substantial benefits and time off than additional pay or bonuses. Fifty-seven percent said their benefit package is more important to them than ever before, and 67% are willing to pay more from their paychecks each month for more comprehensive retirement benefits. More than 4 in 10 workers, or 42%, would sacrifice additional pay each month for a more expansive health benefit plan, an increase from 27% in 2013.

“Many [employees] are struggling with financial and health-related issues,” says Jennifer DeMeo, senior director of retirement at Willis Towers Watson. “They’re turning to their employers and their benefit programs to help them deal with those issues and achieve a better sense of overall wellbeing.”

Employers have been working to expand their voluntary benefits to meet the demands of a diverse workplace. According to a 2019 Willis Towers Watson survey, 79% of companies offer voluntary benefits that address issues regarding financial, mental, and emotional health.

There are some generational differences in employee responses: half of Generation Z employees ranked more pay as their highest priority, while 35% had more generous benefits as a top priority. Forty-two percent of baby boomers listed benefits as their top priority.

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Congress Introduces Veterinary Student Loan Legislation

Congress has introduced the Veterinary Education and Training Minimizes Educational Debt (VET MED) Act (HR 6134). Backed by Representatives Kurt Schrader (Oregon) and Ted Yoho (Florida), the bipartisan bill offers interest-free deferment on student loans to graduates completing internship or residency programs.

The average education debt for veterinary graduates hovered around $143,000 in 2016, Schrader says, with more than 20% of these professionals facing academic debts surpassing $200,000.

“There is a debt crisis in the veterinary community,” he says. “[This] bill will help ease the repayment burden by allowing recent graduates to defer their loans. . . . This is an important step in fostering the talents of the next generation of veterinarians.”

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Cone of Shame Makes Pets Miserable

Dog and cat owners are well aware that their animals dislike the “cone of shame” they are required to wear after surgery. Now, new research takes a look at the cone’s impact on animal welfare.

A study by researchers in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney, Australia, has found that the cone, or the “Elizabethan collar,” does indeed have an impact on an animal’s quality of life—owners’, too. The study, undertaken by veterinary student Yustina Shenoda and supervisors in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science and published in the journal Animals, surveyed owners about the collar’s impact on their pet’s sleep, eating, drinking, exercise, interactions with other animals, and overall quality of life. Owners reported that the collar interferes with drinking and playing and can cause injuries or irritation to the animal. It can also cause injuries to their owner and damage to property.

Survey respondents hailed from Australia, the UK, the US, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Sweden. The majority of the 434 respondents reported a worse quality-of-life score when their companion animal was wearing the collar.

Problems for cats and dogs wearing the collars included:

• Difficulty drinking, 60.2%
• Inability to play, 67.5%
• Collar-related injuries, including itching or irritation, bumping into walls, falling down stairs, and psychological distress, 25%
• Other problems, including difficulty toileting, grooming, being fitted for a harness or lead, getting through a dog or cat door, sleeping in a crate, and navigating indoors “without smashing into doorways, tables, or chairs,” 10%

The study recommends exploring alternative methods to Elizabethan collars to minimize negative welfare impacts—including self-trauma, injury, or misadventure—such as inflatable collars, neck restraints, visors, muzzles, socks or booties, body wraps or clothing, and anti-itch medication, painkillers, topical anesthetics, or sedatives.

“We also recommend that members of veterinary teams advise pet owners about the potential negative effects of the collar, including the potential for discomfort or injury,” says Shenoda. “At a minimum, we recommend giving owners tips around assisting their animals with drinking and eating, and encouraging owners to monitor their pets when wearing them. This advice could be provided verbally or through a brochure that clients can take home.”

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Understanding the Root Causes of Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Many pet owners experience problem behavior in their dogs when leaving them at home, ranging from destruction of household items to urinating or defecating indoors and excessive barking. These are often labeled as the result of “separation anxiety” as the dog gets anxious at the prospect of being left alone. Treatment plans tend to focus on helping the dog overcome the “pain of separation,” but a new study indicates that dealing with the causes of frustration is an important element of the problem.

Animal behavior researchers identified four key forms of separation anxiety and suggest that animal behaviorists consider these underlying reasons as the issue that needs treating and not view “separation anxiety” as a diagnosis. More than 2,700 dogs representing 100+ breeds were included in the study.

The team, led by scientists from the UK’s University of Lincoln, identified four main forms of distress for dogs when separated from their owners: a focus on getting away from something in the house, wanting to get to something outside, reacting to external noises or events, and a form of boredom.

Daniel Mills, BVSc, PhD, professor of veterinary behavioral medicine in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln, said, “Until now, there has been a tendency to think of this as a single condition, i.e., ‘My dog has got separation anxiety,’ and then to focus on the dependence on the owner and how to make them more independent. However, this new work indicates that having separation anxiety is more like saying, ‘My dog’s got an upset tummy,’ which could have many causes and take many forms, and so both assessment and treatment need to be much more focused.”

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How to Reassure Your Team During Uncertain Times

While the ongoing health crisis is top of mind when we think of scary news, there will undoubtedly be other times that leaders will need to communicate with a team during periods of uncertainty. Author Allison Shapira teaches “The Arts of Communication” at the Harvard Kennedy School and is the founder and CEO of Global Public Speaking. She is the author of Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others. In a recent blog post for Harvard Business Review, Shapira presents strategies for reassuring a team.

Pause and Breathe

When you are the most senior person in a room, your team takes its cues from you in terms of how to act and how to feel. Taking a minute to center yourself will ensure that you present a calm, rational force to your colleagues and clients.

Put Yourself in Your Audience’s Shoes

In public speaking, knowing your audience in advance is critical. In times of uncertainty, it’s paramount, regardless of the medium. Do a thorough strategic analysis of who you are communicating to. What are their concerns, questions, or interests? You might use language such as, “I know many of you may be thinking . . .”

Do Your Research

In times of stress, misinformation can be especially destructive. Seek out credible sources of information and read the information fully before distilling it into clear, concise language.

Speak Clearly and Confidently

You can confidently express doubt or uncertainty while still sounding like you are in control of the situation. You might say, “Reports are still coming in, but what we understand so far is this . . .” Communicate frequently with your audience, even without news to report, so that they know you are actively following the issue.

Have Specific Next Steps

In times of uncertainty, it’s helpful to provide your team with tangible action items. Discussing your own next steps or recommending next steps to your audience gives them a sense of control so they feel like they are contributing to stabilization. Use language such as, “Here are the steps we are taking,” or “Here’s what you can do,” to demonstrate action.

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Maj. Gen. Marion Garcia, DVM, Retires

Maj. Gen. Marion Garcia, DVM, chief of staff of the US Army Reserve Command, retired in April 2020 from the army after 32 years of service. In that role, she was responsible for the Army Reserve Headquarters in Fort Bragg, North Carolina; the Army Reserve Staff in Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and the Army Reserve Staff in Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Garcia’s civilian veterinary career has been primarily in the field of farm-animal medicine, with extensive experience in the poultry industry. She has worked in key veterinary and executive roles, including as chief veterinary officer and director of the Animal Welfare Research Institute at the American Humane Association and as veterinary adviser to the US Department of Defense in Iraq, where she worked in the Anbar Province to assess the state of agriculture in the region.

A combat veteran with deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Cuba), Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq), Operation Restore Hope (Somalia), and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (Southwest Asia), she is a 1987 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps.

Along with her extensive military education, Garcia holds a bachelor’s degree in science from the United States Military Academy; a master of strategic studies from the United States Army War College; a master of science in veterinary epidemiology and public health from the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London; and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University.

Her awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Parachutist Badge, and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Bronze).

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Engaging Employees Leads to Retention

In a recent article in Inc. magazine, Marcel Schwantes, founder of Leadership from the Core, writes that to retain talent, organizations need to understand that people need more than money or perks.

“Leaders need to get in the game of engaging employees,” he says. “This means fostering an environment where employees want to go to work, where the work has meaning and purpose, and where people feel like they belong to a family.” To create this environment, he says, your organization needs a caring boss who is approachable, celebrates the team’s successes, and recognizes that employees need a work-life balance.

“You’ve heard the saying, ‘People leave bosses, not companies.’ Bad bosses suck the meaning out of the work environment, and people who work for them can’t wait to get out of their jobs, no matter how well they might be paid,” Schwantes says.

Your organization should also allow employees to develop meaningful relationships with coworkers. According to Schwantes, a Gallup report shows a relationship between strong work friendships and high engagement. In Gallup’s research, employees who reported having a “best friend” at work were 27% more likely to say that the mission of their company makes them feel their job is important.

Photo credits: ©iStock.com/franckreporter, ©iStock.com/Kathryn_Thomas, ©iStock.com/Kerkez, photo courtesy of Monica King, ©iStock.com/FatCamera