8 Mar 2024
The warning is in a new report that suggests more than a quarter of UK veterinary professionals in permanent employment had received no pay rise at all in the past 12 months.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image: © nito / Adobe Stock
Veterinary employers have been urged to take a “proactive” approach to staff recruitment amid continuing salary pressures and an emerging overseas alternative.
The warning is contained in a new report that suggested more than a quarter of UK veterinary professionals in permanent employment had received no pay rise at all in the past 12 months.
The NSV Veterinary Recruitment survey also indicated more than one-third of respondents could be interested in moving abroad during 2024 if suitable opportunities were available.
The group said: “With wage demands stirring across veterinary-adjacent sectors facing similar cost of living crunches, employers would be prudent to get ahead of compensation concerns.
“Proactive pay strategies and enhanced retention initiatives may well prove critical to secure business continuity amid the squeeze on talent supply.”
The company claims that its third annual salary survey is based on analysis of more than 3,000 professionals in January of this year, based on placement reviews, current candidates’ salaries, published job vacancies and broader market knowledge.
Among permanent staff, it found that more than one-third (34.1%) had been in their roles for less than a year.
Although a similar proportion (34.6%) were reported to have left their previous job for a higher salary, 26.7% received no pay rise at all in the preceding 12 months, while 33.3% had a rise of between 1% and 5%.
The group said it was surprised by those findings and warned that most would have “effectively experienced pay cuts” as a result, due to inflation.
The recruitment and retention of staff remains an enduring challenge for the veterinary professions, and the report argued that an increase of at least 23% in demand for temporary and contract staff signalled a “structural shift” for the sector, rather than a short-term response.
It added: “As unfilled jobs pile up, bosses lean more on longer-term flexible arrangements to handle workload.”
But the report also indicated 35.3% of professionals would be interested in taking up a new role abroad during 2024, with a further 17.6% also open to “the right opportunity”.
The document acknowledged the growth of interest in overseas working was likely to intensify competition for staff, but argued that employers could find a “competitive edge” by reaching out to “internationally mobile” professionals.
However, it also warned that the previous trend of “UK gains not making up for Brexit exit” is continuing, despite recent RCVS figures that have indicated at least some recovery in the number of overseas vets registering here following both that decision and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The release of the new report coincides with the recent launch of the BVA’s Return to Work campaign, which also warned that over one-third of vets were either planning to leave the sector or were unsure of their future within it. The association declined to comment on the latest findings.
Meanwhile, SPVS said it is analysing responses to its own salary survey of vets and VNs, which closed in the past few days and hopes to publish the results towards the end of next month. The group said it had received more than 2,000 responses this year and its analysis would explore issues including basic earnings, overtime and bonuses, as well as benefits such as accommodation, car allowances and pensions.
A spokesperson added: “Because of the longevity of SPVS Salary Survey, we can compare accurately to previous years, to give a good understanding of how salaries are changing over time across the veterinary profession in the UK.”
