Good vets are hard to find and harder to replace, so getting employment right protects both your team and your practice. Most problems we see come from a handful of the same issues. Here’s where to focus.
Know which award applies
Most employees in vet practices, including many veterinarians and nurses, are covered by the Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award 2020. The award sets minimum pay rates, hours, overtime, penalty rates, allowances and leave. Check which classification each employee falls under, and review it when their role or experience changes.
Paying above the award doesn’t automatically mean you’re compliant. A generous salary can still fall short if it doesn’t cover the overtime, penalties and allowances the employee would otherwise be entitled to.
Put it in writing
Every employee should have a written employment contract that covers:
- their role, classification and award coverage
- pay, and whether a salary is intended to cover award entitlements such as overtime and penalties
- hours of work, including rostering, weekends and after-hours work
- registration with the relevant veterinary board, and what happens if registration lapses
- continuing professional development and who pays for it
- confidentiality, protection of client relationships and any reasonable restraint.
New employees must also receive the Fair Work Information Statement, and casual employees the Casual Employment Information Statement.
After-hours and on-call work
This is the most common source of underpayment in vet practices. Be clear about when an employee is working, when they are on call, and how each is paid. Keep accurate records of hours actually worked, not just rostered hours.
Employees also have a right to refuse unreasonable out-of-hours contact. If your practice relies on after-hours availability, set clear, reasonable expectations in the contract and in practice.
Records and pay slips
Employers must keep accurate time and wage records and give employees pay slips. If you pay a salary instead of hourly rates, check regularly that it still covers what the employee would have earned under the award for the hours they actually worked. Intentional underpayment is now a criminal offence, so it’s worth a regular review.
Restraints
Restraints help protect your client base when a vet leaves, but they are only enforceable if they are reasonable: limited to what genuinely protects your business, in area and duration. A restraint copied from another contract is rarely the right fit. Draft it for the role.
Performance and ending employment
When there’s a performance or conduct issue, act early and follow a fair process: explain the concern, give the employee a genuine chance to respond and improve, and keep notes. If your practice has fewer than 15 employees, follow the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code. A fair process is the best protection against an unfair dismissal claim.
Quick checklist
- Confirm award coverage and classification for every employee
- Use written contracts that deal with salary, hours and after-hours work
- Give new starters the right information statements
- Record hours actually worked, including on-call work
- Review salaries against award entitlements regularly
- Draft restraints for the role, not from a template
- Follow a fair process before ending employment
