Relief work is more popular than ever, with more veterinarians choosing flexibility and independence over traditional full-time roles. Despite this increasing supply, many hospitals still struggle to fill their shifts, and when they do, they want the best possible talent. After all, the most skilled, reliable and experienced practitioners will always be in demand. So, the question becomes: How can clinics ensure that top relief veterinarians choose their shifts over others? One possible answer is production-based pay.
Traditionally, relief veterinarians are paid a flat rate per shift, regardless of the revenue they generate. This model provides some financial predictability for both the practitioner and the hospital. Still, it doesn’t necessarily reward high-producing veterinarians or give clinics an edge in a competitive hiring market. In a world where practices are looking to maximize revenue and minimize staffing headaches, offering production bonuses for relief shifts could be a win-win.
The Case for It
Here are three reasons relief veterinarians should receive production bonuses.
1. Relief veterinarians generate revenue just like full-time employees, so why not pay them the same way?
Many practices choose to pay production to their full-time veterinarians because they want to encourage efficiency and financially reward hard work. However, relief workers are often seen differently, not as revenue drivers but as gap fillers to cover shifts when a full-time veterinarian is on leave. In reality, relief veterinarians can contribute to the clinic’s bottom line just the same.
For example, relief veterinarians may feel frustrated if they generate $7,000 in revenue for a clinic in a single day but receive only a $1,000 shift fee. After all, their skills, efficiency and effort directly drive that revenue, yet they receive no additional compensation for a particularly productive shift.
Now, consider a scenario where the clinic offers a base rate plus a production bonus. If that same relief veterinarian brings in $7,000, they might earn $1,750 instead of $1,000. The clinic still profits while ensuring it retains
high-producing relief veterinarians who might otherwise choose to work elsewhere.
2. It helps clinics manage financial risk.
A big concerns clinics have when hiring relief veterinarians is profitability. How much can they afford to pay while still making a profit? Many practices set their relief rates conservatively to avoid financial risk, but this could mean missing out on great professionals. Evaluating revenue per patient, average procedure costs, overhead expenses and profit margins could help clinics determine a competitive and sustainable pay range for relief shifts.
Clinics can better balance risk and reward by adopting a production-based model. They can set a guaranteed base rate that ensures fair compensation, while the production portion scales according to the revenue generated. If a shift is slower than expected, the clinic isn’t overpaying. If it’s busier, both the clinic and the veterinarian benefit.
This model makes even more sense in emergency and urgent care settings, where revenue per shift can vary wildly. A slow day might bring in $3,000, while a busy one could generate $15,000. A flat rate doesn’t account for this variability, but production-based pay does.
3. Clinics can attract and retain high-producing relief veterinarians.
Not all relief veterinarians bring the same level of experience or generate the same revenue. The best practitioners — those who are highly skilled, efficient and comfortable handling complex cases — have plenty of options when choosing where to work. Offering production-based pay can help practices stand out and ensure they’re getting the most out of every shift.
Consider relief veterinarian choosing between two hospitals offering the same flat shift rate. If one clinic includes a production bonus, it becomes a more attractive option, especially for practitioners who consistently generate above-average revenue. Over time, this model enables clinics to establish a trusted network of high-caliber professionals who prioritize their shifts, thereby reducing the time required to find, vet and book relief veterinarians.
Potential Concerns
Let’s look at what critics might say.
1. Will relief veterinarians feel pressured to overproduce?
Some practitioners worry that production-based pay might create pressure to see more patients or take on additional procedures. While this is a common concern, relief veterinarians ultimately maintain their professional standards, just as full-time employees do under similar compensation models.
2. What if some relief veterinarians prefer a flat rate?
Not all relief veterinarians will want to take on the financial variability of production pay. The best solution is flexibility, allowing clinics to experiment with different approaches, such as a flat rate, a flat rate plus a production bonus, or a lower base rate with higher production incentives. This gives relief veterinarians the option to choose the model that best suits their preferences and work style.
3. Will general practices lose relief veterinarians to higher-paying ER jobs?
Some general practice clinics may worry that if ER and urgent care clinics start offering production pay, relief veterinarians will migrate to these higher-earning positions. While it’s true that emergency medicine tends to generate more revenue, many professionals prefer the reduced stress and predictable workload of general practice.
GP clinics can still use production-based pay to their advantage, especially when they need additional expertise or must manage a surge in higher-revenue cases. For example, if a practice has more dental or surgical procedures than its full-time veterinarians can handle, or if a clinic wants to expand services in a specialized area but lacks an in-house professional with that skill set, bringing in a relief veterinarian on a production-based model can be a smart solution.
What Now?
Before deciding whether to offer production-based pay to relief veterinarians, clinics should take a step back and assess their finances. Their first priority is making sure relief shifts are priced in a way that keeps the practice profitable while offering fair compensation. By running the numbers, clinics might find that they can afford to pay more competitive rates without cutting into their bottom line.
Once a solid pay structure is in place, adding production bonuses could be the next step. This approach can help attract skilled relief veterinarians, reward high performers and create a more balanced financial model. And if structured correctly, practices might just find that production-based pay doesn’t cost them more — it makes them more.
40 PERCENT
A survey released by software maker Instinct found that 4 out of 10 emergency and specialty practices reported hiring more relief veterinarians in response to challenges such as staffing shortages, stress and compassion fatigue, and increase patient flow.
LEARN MORE
Watch Serenity Vet’s recent webinar, “Should Relief Veterinarians Be Paid on Production?” at bit.ly/3HLcLgF.