Most veterinary practice teams enjoy celebrating holidays and taking a step back from work to spend time with family and friends. Creating a system to share emergency coverage responsibilities during holidays is necessary for your staff to enjoy adequate time off. Preparing a schedule allows the team to make travel arrangements and plan vacation days to visit family.
Schedule Coverage in Advance
Scheduling holiday coverage for the entire year and keeping a chart of the trailing five years of coverage ensures the same doctor or staff member is not stuck on holiday emergency duty year after year. Having a standard rotation keeps fairness front and center, as does making sure owners participate in holiday coverage. Then, whoever is scheduled can attempt to trade with another team member if desired, but the overall rotation should always remain visible as those switches occur. It is hard to remember who worked when unless it is memorialized in writing. Keeping these documents accessible for viewing is important for practice culture and fairness.
Holiday Closure and Compensation Policies
Each practice will have its own policies about which holidays will be paid and which days the practice will not be open for elective services. Most practices close for major holidays, such as New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but still see emergencies. Some practices add Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and/or Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, and Hanukkah, depending on their team’s needs. When a holiday falls on a weekend, the practice might designate a different workday as the paid holiday. Some practices are closed the day after Thanksgiving or close early the day before major holidays.
While salaried veterinarians’ contracts usually require them to work their share of holidays, nonveterinarian staff members are typically paid an increased hourly wage. While it is not a law that holidays must have additional pay, most businesses offer 1.5-2 times the normal hourly wage if employees must staff the hospital to care for hospitalized patients. For those without local family with whom to celebrate, these shifts are often popular for their earning potential.
Emergency Coverage Options
For practices that participate in emergency cooperatives, sharing of holiday coverage may or may not be included in the rotation. Because covering calls for multiple practices can result in a very busy day, some practices collectively decide to be responsible for their own clinic’s emergencies to have a higher chance of enjoying time at home during the holiday. Other practices might contract with an emergency-only practice, if available, or refer clients to a university hospital if an urgent need arises.
Final Thoughts
Most importantly, practices must recognize the value most team members place on holidays, make a transparent and fair plan to cover emergencies and care for hospitalized patients, and be consistent with holiday pay policies. Holiday celebrations at the practice can increase comradery and cheer, but it’s important to be sensitive to those experiencing sadness or grief. Asking each team member about their favorite holidays and most cherished traditions will help avoid missteps.
Happy Holidays!
Related Reading
- Veterinary Sustainability: Clinics Get Creative With Equine Emergency Coverage
- AAEP Commission on Veterinary Sustainability: New Paradigms in Equine Emergency Coverage
- AAEP Commission on Veterinary Sustainability: New Frontiers in Emergency Service
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