19 Jan 2022
Results from RCVS survey found that of vets asked to carry out overtime since start of pandemic, 53% were not paid for extra work – and 21% of VNs also saw their overtime go unrewarded.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
Image © pikselstock / Adobe Stock
More than half of all vets who have worked overtime since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been paid for their extra hours according to shocking statistics released by the RCVS.
New research carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies has culminated in two reports from the RCVS examining how vets and vet nurses have been impacted by the pandemic and its resulting lockdowns.
Results found that of vets who were asked to carry out overtime, 53% saw their extra work go unpaid while 21% of VNs also said they saw their overtime go unrewarded.
The vet report found that many of those having to work additional hours were slightly younger on average than those who did not have to do overtime. The results also found that 7.2% of vets had their pay cut, but almost half of those (46.3%) did not see a decrease in working hours.
BVA president Justine Shotton said that the figures show how the industry still has work to do in moving away from a workplace culture that leaves staff feeling undervalued and overloaded.
She said: “This report really hits home how hard veterinary professionals have worked over the past year while contending with multiple pressures.
“A theme throughout is one of teams stepping up, adapting and supporting each other in order to keep animal health and welfare front and centre in the face of unprecedented challenges.”
Dr Shotton added: “Through our Good Workplaces campaign, we’ve called on employers to challenge this kind of culture, fairly reward staff when they do have to go over contracted hours, and give them the means to raise concerns if this is happening regularly.
“If we are serious about workforce retention and employee well-being, we need to keep working on creating fair and supportive working environments where long hours are not routinely endorsed or expected, and all staff recognise their right to value their time outside of work.”
The report also showed how 57.1% of respondents experienced a change in their shift patterns, with 29.9% of those reporting that they had been asked to work more weekends.
The vet nurse report found that VNs were slightly more likely to say they had to work additional hours, but were also more likely to have been paid for any additional work. VNs were also half as likely as vet surgeons to have received a pay cut. However, a higher percentage of VNs (66.6%) experienced a change in shift pattern.
Commenting on the reports, VMG junior vice-president Georgina Hills called for the efforts of vets and VNs to be compensated, either financially or through time off in lieu.
Ms Hills said: “We all know the huge pressures veterinary teams have endured during the pandemic – and this on top of already challenging working conditions.
“We are concerned at the RCVS’ findings that 50% of all overtime has been unpaid, and believe that our colleagues’ time and efforts should be recognised, whether through increased pay, paid overtime or time off in lieu.
“The amount of overtime worked should also be monitored to prevent burn out. Showing that we value the fantastic efforts made by veterinary teams since the start of the pandemic is essential to team retention and motivation.”
