Abusive clients could be barred – CVS policy

Abusive clients could be barred from veterinary practices or even face legal action under a new “zero tolerance” policy unveiled by the CVS Group.

The company said the approach will apply to all contact between staff and clients, plus any person connected to a pet owner who behaves in a similar manner.

The move has been welcomed by sector and union officials, although the latter also warned the standards must be rigorously applied to put staff safety “above profits”.

Behaviours

The policy sets out a range of behaviours the company sees as unacceptable, which could lead to services being terminated.

The policy includes:

• Violent, threatening, or abusive language or behaviour towards staff, other clients or animals, including actual or attempted physical violence.
• Damage or attempted damage to company or staff property.
• Verbal abuse of staff.
• Racial, sexual or other discriminatory remarks or gestures.
• Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress or intimidation.
• Malicious allegations about staff or other clients.
• Theft or other criminal activity, including fraudulent obtention of services and medications.
• Non-compliance with practice health and safety requirements.

The document, which is being published on the websites of the group’s practices, sets out a three-stage approach to dealing with abusive behaviour.

Stages

Initially, perpetrators would be asked to stop, and leave the premises if necessary, with a written warning issued afterwards and kept on file. The second stage enables practices to cease the provision of veterinary services, with a record of that decision remaining on file for up to seven years afterwards.

In the most serious cases, where poor behaviour continues after a termination decision, the policy allows for a final written notice to be issued. It warns that incidents of threatening, abusive or violent behaviour will be reported to the police, and the company will “pursue appropriate legal action as needed”.

A spokesperson confirmed such action could include taking out an injunction to prevent an individual from entering a practice, but said such a measure would only be used in “extreme” cases where there is believed to be a risk of harm to staff.

Terminated

The policy also states that service provision could be terminated immediately in response to incidents of “wilfully discriminatory” behaviour or physical threats to the safety of staff, other clients and animals, as well as where the relationship between a client and vet has been “irreparably damaged”.

The measures are intended to cover contact made in person, by telephone or email, through a practice website and on social media. The company said it would work with social media platforms to request the removal of material containing the personal data of staff, as well as malicious allegations or discriminatory comments about employees.

Unacceptable behaviour

CVS chief executive Richard Fairman said: “A good relationship between a client and vet must be founded on mutual trust and confidence. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in unacceptable behaviour by some clients.

“We hope our new policy, framework and support tools will support our practice teams in not having to tolerate such behaviour.”

The company highlighted data published by the BVA in 2021, which showed 6 out of 10 vets had reported feeling intimidated by clients’ language or behaviour within the previous year.

The association’s president Malcolm Morley welcomed the CVS approach and called for other employers to take similar measures.

He said: “Every workplace, including vet practices, should be 100% free from abuse.

“While most clients are friendly, cooperative and happy with the care their animals receive, a small minority think it is acceptable to be rude and confrontational, creating an intolerable environment for vet professionals, in person and online. It’s good to see vet businesses responding to BVA’s ‘Respect Your Vet Team’ campaign by adopting a zero-tolerance approach to abuse. We urge more practices to get involved and make use of the wealth of practical BVA resources available to help teams tackle unacceptable behaviour.”

Protocols

British Veterinary Union branch chairperson Suzanna Hudson-Cooke said her organisation “welcomes and applauds veterinary employers implementing zero-tolerance approaches to unacceptable behaviour towards staff.”

She added: “It is an employer’s responsibility to have protocols and policies in place to protect staff.

“However, the most important thing is that they are applied in real-life situations, and staff feel secure enough to report unacceptable client behaviour and know their safety will be put above profits.”