Tipping vets?

[Asha]

It would never enter my head to tip a vet in cash. But,i have just bought them all chocolates, champers and a thank you card for everything theyve done recently. I just wanted them to know how much i appreciate them. I really am lucky to have such a wonderful practice on my doorstep.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I have never tipped my vet and it just would not occur to me to do so. Mind you my vet has inherited enormous family wealth so bunging him a €20 note would probably be highly insulting to him - or perhaps very amusing knowing his sense of humour.

I have to say I am pretty shocked at the low salary scale for junior vets in particular - boy oh boy they earn their money don't they?

 

[Orangehorse]

No, I agree, I have never thought to tip a vet. But we aren't just paying for the vet's salary, there is the cost of having a surgery and the equipment there, staff, drugs cupboard, transport.

The only tip I give the farrier a bottle of scotch and some beer/lager at Christmas for his apprentices. I gave the groom £10 when my horse was at training livery and I was visiting - I suppose it would be £20 now.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’m horrified at the salary. My vets been here today. She got in last night at 8, got called out almost straight away. Had another middle of the night call out. Back to work this morning and is going til about 9 tonight.
That’s just a snapshot of life. It surely deserves a lot more and that’s not taking the stress load into account.

 

[chaps89]

Why is there such a discrepancy between what small animals earn vs equine/farm?
I'm also somewhat shocked by how little they earn given the amount of studying/work required to qualify and the hours involved once qualified. Given out of hours fees are charged, why don't vets get paid extra for evening/weekend work? (If that is the case, which is what I've taken from this thread)

 

[Steerpike]

No I wouldn't give a vet a tip, same as I wouldn't give a doctor a tip but a gift would be appreciated I'm sure. I'm a nurse and was given a tip by an undertaker when I worked in a private hospital. He had come to collect a body and we had no porter for some reason, as he left he thrust £2 into my hand, I asked what for, he said "I always tip the porter, he's not here so I'll tip you". Only time in 30 years!

Funeral directors always used tip mortuary staff a £ or 2 each time they visited, if the funeral directors came from further afield it may be more, a very old tradition.

 

[Redders]

All contracts differ, so I can only speak of the one I am on and ones my friends are on. We have dedicated night vets as we are a hospital so have 24hr care and do the OOH for most of the town we are in. They are on a separate contract where they do 7 on and 7 off I think, some will do 7 on 14 off and the salary is pro-rata for that. The salary i think is higher per hour worked if you choose to just do nights, but that’s just going off of job adverts I’ve seen. My last placement didn’t offer any more in the salary for OOH work, just part of the rota. Some places will offer a day in lieu for an on call night/weekend but not all - a placement just before I graduated didn’t offer any days off after in call and they did 7 days on call straight, and worked their normal days, so if itnwas a busy on call week, sleep was elusive! I was offered a job there and while I loved the staff and the place was nice, couldn’t cope with that, especially not as a new graduate - I need all my brain cells to be firing! No way could I be up all night with an emergency, and then be happy doing surgery the next day, not as a baby vet, my confidence would not allow me to even attempt that. The salary for there was less than I am on now.
im not sure why the discrepancies between small ones and farm, it certainly should not be. I wonder if it’s to do with what treatments and money farmers are likely to pay as the farms are businesses and the treatment *shouldn’t out value the stock, profit has to be made to keep the farm open.
it makes me angry that my farm colleagues aren’t remunerated properly for their work. They work so incredibly hard in some awful and sometimes dangerous conditions. A friend who graduated with me last year took a farm job and is on 24k, which he was happy with as it included a car and seemed like a great place etc, but he got there and the car is a work van which he can’t use for social stuff as it’s crammed with all the equipment and no spare seats, so he has to run his own car alongside anyway.

I don’t know why weekend/OOH/BH stuff Isn’t paid extra, I guess the money just isn’t there to do so. A lot of the fees go on the cost of running a building/surgery/equipment 24/7 in terms of utilities, and yes staff costs are higher because of unsociable hours but I’ve not known anyone get extra money for call outs (that may happen in some places), and some places you are lucky to get a day off back.

 

[Auslander]

Alf has been made to spend his pocket money on chocolate for my vet. She said she "got in the way of a shiver", but I know him well enough to know that he meant it...

 

[tda]

Feel bad now, I've never bought my vet any presents, but I have seen her a ridiculous amount of times already this year so maybe I should ?

 

[VRIN]

The vets are doing a job and getting paid - in the same way that other people are. No tip is expected or required. A 'thank you' is always appreciated whatever the job you are doing.

 

[misst]

Nope never ever tipped a vet - never entered my head to do it! But I have dropped off chocolates/biscuits after a PTS and I have written thank you cards. As a nurse I never get tips and am not allowed to accept them. I think of vets in a similar way. However I do accept thank you and edibles so offer the same.

 

[Orangehorse]

I think our vets used to get a car, but now it is the practice van, full of stuff, so they would need their own car for getting to work and social life.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I wonder if it’s to do with what treatments and money farmers are likely to pay as the farms are businesses and the treatment *shouldn’t out value the stock, profit has to be made to keep the farm open.

In basic terms, yes. For example, a sheep caesarean we only charge a relatively small amount, just about enough to cover costs. Because otherwise farmers wouldn't pay, we'd lose a lot more sheep and lambs, and we are trying to do our bit to encourage animal welfare. But I think the discrepancy in the salary, and the OOH, is part of the reason that they're struggling to get younger vets into large animal work... so many more people I know have gone into small animal than anything else.

We don't get paid extra for OOH/weekend work because it's built into the salary, but apparently my boss did get paid 10% of each OOH call when he worked in America. Overtime is just accepted as part of life. But in the practice I work, it does go both ways. In the middle of summer when farm work is quieter, we might get the odd day where we can get home by 4:30/5pm, depending what comes in.

 

[fredflop]

I’m sure there’s been plenty of threads on vets salaries before.

My comments would be that most modern employers don’t really seem to “pay” what the public think that job is worth. My job doesn’t get any overtime pay and I’m expected to work as many hours as my employers deems necessary

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’m sure there’s been plenty of threads on vets salaries before.

My comments would be that most modern employers don’t really seem to “pay” what the public think that job is worth. My job doesn’t get any overtime pay and I’m expected to work as many hours as my employers deems necessary

It wasn’t really a thread on vets salaries though. It was questioning when I googled that tips were mentioned.

 

[KEK]

I don't think smallies vets get much more, here anyway. I'm on around 35kish (70k AUD) and I've been out 15yrs..

 

[Redders]

I don't think smallies vets get much more, here anyway. I'm on around 35kish (70k AUD) and I've been out 15yrs..

Oof. I feel you are being seriously undervalued

 

[Nicnac]

Never tip my vets but defo presents. I love my vets - got a beautiful heartfelt handwritten card from dog vet yesterday after losing one of my dogs to cancer a couple of weeks ago.

 

[only_me]

I earn £29k. Graduated last June
That’s quite good, some of my friends are on £21k but have accommodation provided as part of an internship, others are in £24k with a car

Very similar starting salary to a junior doctor, no car or accommodation though. And at least my patients generally stay still for their exam ?

I did offer a coke to mine tonight, after myself wrestling 3 indignant alpacas to try and get them still enough for vet to be able to do their teeth ? I do let the students do a fair bit though as have a very good horse and they always find the alpacas interesting!

 

[Redders]

Mine doesn’t come with accommodation or car, it’s the salary as is. I don’t think I would want a car or accommodation factored in, I quite like choosing my own places and transport

 

[KEK]

Oof. I feel you are being seriously undervalued

Should have put I don't work quite full time, around 34hrs a week and FT is 40. And don't do surgery any more as its stresses me out too much but am qualified in canine rehab as well so do quite a bit of that also behaviour consults.
Possibly, the only reason I am still at my clinic is they work my weekend shifts around dog trials!! Actually think its not even 70k /year more like 60. Ho hum.

 

[Redders]

Should have put I don't work quite full time, around 34hrs a week and FT is 40. And don't do surgery any more as its stresses me out too much but am qualified in canine rehab as well so do quite a bit of that also behaviour consults.
Possibly, the only reason I am still at my clinic is they work my weekend shifts around dog trials!!

yeah but still. Consult only vets are just as valuable as vets who also do surgery, and often times will bring in more to the practice as they are the ones advising surgical treatments etc. And you aren’t that far off full time. I dunno, I feel that as a vet with 15 years post graduate experience and qualified in rehab so bringing a different stream of clients through the doors is worth more than 35k. But then maybe I am naive

 

[Redders]

Very similar starting salary to a junior doctor, no car or accommodation though. And at least my patients generally stay still for their exam ?

I did offer a coke to mine tonight, after myself wrestling 3 indignant alpacas to try and get them still enough for vet to be able to do their teeth ? I do let the students do a fair bit though as have a very good horse and they always find the alpacas interesting!

oooh I would love to be offered a nice cold coke or 7up! That would be a great pick me up!

 

[KEK]

yeah but still. Consult only vets are just as valuable as vets who also do surgery, and often times will bring in more to the practice as they are the ones advising surgical treatments etc. And you aren’t that far off full time. I dunno, I feel that as a vet with 15 years post graduate experience and qualified in rehab so bringing a different stream of clients through the doors is worth more than 35k. But then maybe I am naive

Yeah I admit heaps and consult more efficiently than the vast majority of the others. Unfortunately the salary is calculated on the fees you generate.. so if you are not doing the surgery/procedures etc than it doesn't go in your name so you can't get a raise. Pretty rough.

 

[KEK]

Never been tipped, although have recently PTS a couple of my long term patients, sadly, and got $100gift card to cafes from one and a bag of Antinol Rapid (super expensive joint supplement I use on mine) from the other so that was very much appreciated! But unusual, normally we just get lots of chocolate at Xmas

 

[Redders]

Yeah I admit heaps and consult more efficiently than the vast majority of the others. Unfortunately the salary is calculated on the fees you generate.. so if you are not doing the surgery/procedures etc than it doesn't go in your name so you can't get a raise. Pretty rough.

where I work, the ‘points mean prizes’ system of your value to the practice being calculated by the amount that is charged under your name is a bit defunct now, It’s been realised that vet A may have seen a pet and recommended a surgery and discussed all with the owners and helped them decide to go ahead, but they may not be operating on that day so would never have been able to charge for it anyway, so Vet B has that work charged under them by luck of the draw or extended skills, but if it wasn’t for you recommending, Vet B May never had the pet in for the procedure in the first place. one of our vets is much more surgery orientated and so hardly consults and we pass on surgeries to her as she is doing a certificate and needs cases for her portfolio, I only have one op day a week, so it’s not really fair to look at costings under one name anymore.
Some op days the nurses will price up my procedures and I just write clinical notes because we are stretched for time. The costs generated under one name just isn’t an accurate representation of value any more.
off subject but if you did want to negotiate your salary, you could run a 2m audit on yourself where you track procedures recommended and follow them up with treatment carried out and you could say ‘ my recommendations to x clients over a 2m period has resulted in an x amount of procedure uptake and £x in income. This is a result of my consult style and communication success with the owners over the treatment options available and discussion of most appropriate treatment. Therefore my ability to generate income is on a par with my surgical colleagues etc etc etc’ or something like that. Quantitive measures for a vets value are great if they are fair, they don’t work if they are not, so have to think of other ways of proving your value to bosses (but really I think they should be able to see this for themselves)

 

[KEK]

where I work, the ‘points mean prizes’ system of your value to the practice being calculated by the amount that is charged under your name is a bit defunct now, It’s been realised that vet A may have seen a pet and recommended a surgery and discussed all with the owners and helped them decide to go ahead, but they may not be operating on that day so would never have been able to charge for it anyway, so Vet B has that work charged under them by luck of the draw or extended skills, but if it wasn’t for you recommending, Vet B May never had the pet in for the procedure in the first place. one of our vets is much more surgery orientated and so hardly consults and we pass on surgeries to her as she is doing a certificate and needs cases for her portfolio, I only have one op day a week, so it’s not really fair to look at costings under one name anymore.
Some op days the nurses will price up my procedures and I just write clinical notes because we are stretched for time. The costs generated under one name just isn’t an accurate representation of value any more.
off subject but if you did want to negotiate your salary, you could run a 2m audit on yourself where you track procedures recommended and follow them up with treatment carried out and you could say ‘ my recommendations to x clients over a 2m period has resulted in an x amount of procedure uptake and £x in income. This is a result of my consult style and communication success with the owners over the treatment options available and discussion of most appropriate treatment. Therefore my ability to generate income is on a par with my surgical colleagues etc etc etc’ or something like that. Quantitive measures for a vets value are great if they are fair, they don’t work if they are not, so have to think of other ways of proving your value to bosses (but really I think they should be able to see this for themselves)

This is a great suggestion and something I might do for interest.
I did recently try and renegotiate, actually, and learnt that I can't go any higher than my current as they also rank vets by level and according to a big long list of things they have to be able to do to move up a level/pay bracket and most things on the list were surgical :/ And we are corporate owned.

 

[Redders]

Sometimes I think that the management tools and grading tools and everything else used by larger companies are useful to a degree, but are also very good at putting people off from trying. I also think that in SOME larger companies/ entities (all of them I reckon but I can only speak of vets and military as that is my experience) they don’t necessarily train their middle level managers/practice directors etc to fully understand the policies, so they can become something they aren’t or become inflexible because people don’t know enough about them to find compromise, or maybe compromise doesn’t exist! But it can certainly put people off of challenging them. Numbers don’t lie, so if you can show that you consistently contribute to the increased revenue then the argument that ‘it’s only surgical staff bla bla’ becomes invalid.
And if after that, they still want to stick to their party line, well, I think I would practice my self-confidence and vote with my feet. Over here, a vet with your level of experience, who just wants to consult, could almost walk into a role and pick their hours - we are so so short of experienced vets. My practice has been trying to recruit an experienced vet for over a year - if they had the right candidate who said they wanted 34 hrs a week, consult only, with ability to do weekends around dog events if planned ahead, and I want £40k, I’m pretty sure you would get it

 

[sunleychops]

I never understand tipping as a general rule to be honest.

Paid to do a job, why the need for extra pay for actually doing said job.

If the person has gone above and beyond or been exceptional then yes maybe but never a given

 

[Fjord]

My small animal vet went above and beyond to save my cat when he was a kitten. I think it was because it was an unusual situation (kitten needed his urethra to be constructed) so we bought a card and a big box of chocolates to say thank you. I do think that practices appreciate gifts like that, especially if they are spread out through the year and not just at Christmas.