Dr. Martin Pfützner

Economic view on staff management

Long working days and overtime is a standard in this profession and what is expected of each veterinarian. A 40 hour week appears to be the set standard for an entry level role for the position. Anything less does not seem feasible to employers. The shortage of staff in almost all professions make this a rather undesirable aspect of the role as a swine veterinarian. But does more hours spent on the job automatically mean that there is more money earned? All these factors in mind, our clinic has revised and reformed our working culture. In the last five years, we have specified contracts to the individuals based on our team’s feedback. By introducing these individualised contracts we have seen an increase in productivity and revenue per hour. Additionally we started recording working hours, including during farm visits, to be able to recognise overtime as soon as possible. Old routines had to be revised and remodelled to upgrade our working environment and ensure continuous interest and desire to make a positive impact in ones job. Our smart work approach offers our veterinarians greater flexibility to achieve the desired work life balance. Economically this has created a higher profitability in our business and encouraged our staff to further pursue independent projects within the veterinary field. This helps our veterinarians to further identify themselves with their position in our business.