Q: I’ve worked at the same clinic since I graduated from veterinary school eight years ago. I love my job, and my boss has always treated me well. I thought I was fairly compensated, but then we hired a new grad. She slipped up and told me her starting salary, which is slightly below mine. To be honest, I feel disrespected. Should I confront my boss, demand a raise or look for another job?
A: The gap between veterinarians’ starting and maximum salaries has been closing. I first described the trend in the early 2000s when I examined consolidated industries as part of a profession-wide study. I discovered that corporations shifted their compensation models as they purchased independent pharmacies and optometry offices. The corporations captured a generation of professionals mainly by offering significantly better salaries and benefits, even at an initial loss. By the time the salary cap was hit a few years later, the individual was less likely to make a risky change. Sound familiar?
My first response to you is that this strategy might be the new normal. It sounds like you’re at an independent practice where the owner did what was needed to hire a new veterinarian but didn’t consider the unintended consequences for you.
Determining the top salary for every position is a struggle in any business. Whether or not you’re getting close to that ceiling requires a bit of sleuthing and financial analysis by the practice owner. In uncertain economic times, those projections can be tricky.
You should talk about it with your boss. The challenge for you is not to sound confrontational or ungrateful or betray your new colleague. I advise focusing on your contributions to the practice regarding revenue generation, leadership, reliability and clientele. You’ve built a valuable portfolio and should be fairly compensated. I wouldn’t mention the other doctor’s salary unless your practice has pay transparency. Ultimately, this is about you, not your colleague.
Demonstrate to the practice owner how a pay change can benefit both of you. If you’re not on a production-bonus or profit-sharing program, float ideas backed by your research. Carefully evaluate any possibilities to increase your pretax benefits. Ask your accountant about creative ways to improve your nonwage compensation. Finally, would you be happier with more free time? That could be a powerful compromise for you and your boss if you can justify working less while maintaining the same production.
How your boss responds to the conversation will probably determine your long-term commitment. Hopefully, your issues and ideas will be respectfully considered, and you and your boss will reach a mutually beneficial resolution. If not, you should consider whether you will feel appreciated and valued in three to five more years if nothing changes. Don’t be afraid to tell your boss you feel undervalued as long as you can back it up with data. Keep your arguments centered on business principles, not personal issues.
Finally, here’s a reality check: What veterinary professionals earn has a practical limit, one shaped by the number of patients they can see and what clients can afford. Recognizing the economic framework we’re working within helps us advocate more effectively for ourselves and the profession. That’s not an excuse to pay less but rather an acknowledgment of a feature — and constraint — of capitalism.
Meanwhile, independent practices must better manage their finances and run profitable enterprises to pay their staff fairly and competitively. Far too many veterinary professionals remain underpaid, leaving corporations with an easy win. The compression between starting and top salaries might feel like the new normal, but that doesn’t mean we stop pushing. There’s still room to grow and raise the ceiling.
Q: The practice manager and I disagree on whether the clinic owner is a toxic boss. While I am the head veterinary technician, the owner micromanages my team and criticizes me frequently. The practice manager says that although the owner is demanding, she sets reasonable expectations and holds herself ultimately responsible. Who’s right, and how can you tell if your boss is toxic?
A: Let’s distinguish between dismissive, frustrating, even annoying bosses and truly toxic leaders. While I can’t settle the debate, I can offer several warning signs of toxic employers:
- They think they’re always right about everything, and they can’t control their emotions.
- They’re inconsistent and unpredictable, and they don’t provide clear expectations, leading to favoritism and singling out individuals for ridicule and blame.
- They weaponize their power and authority over others and take advantage of subordinates.
- They don’t invest in training, developing trust or empowering employees, which results in micromanagement.
- They blame everyone and everything except themselves, often publicly and loudly.
Of course, other toxic traits exist, but if any of the warning signs above seem familiar, it might be time for you to have a courageous conversation or find a better boss.
Q: Do you know how some clinics say they’re “family”? Well, mine really is. I let an associate veterinarian hire a close relative, and before long, half of my team was either related, married or dating. This situation has created a few cliques and finger-pointing, and productivity and morale have plummeted. How do I get out of this mess?
A: In the TV series Succession, patriarch CEO Logan Roy says, “The line between family and business … it’s a tripwire.” It sounds like you tripped.
Sometimes, working with relatives is great, but it’s a disaster at other times. The short answer is this: Let go of what’s holding you back and forge new relationships.
Meanwhile, how do you handle today’s turmoil? Start by privately conversing with team leaders to ensure they know your concerns. People are often blissfully unaware of the most obvious problems, particularly when embedded. Hear their side and emphasize that things must improve or immediate changes will occur. Sometimes, that’s all that needs to be done for change to begin.
If the problems persist beyond a couple of weeks after the discussions, you’ll need to let go of the worst offenders and begin rebuilding. In my experience, the faster I made necessary hard cuts, the faster things improved. I’ve tried fixing people who had tremendous potential, but the attempts proved largely unsuccessful and ended up causing more damage.
In the future, carefully evaluate the risks and benefits of hiring relatives and close friends. And be extra vigilant of tripwires.