Flexibility from a team member’s perspective

When the question “How can I have job flexibility?” comes up among associate veterinarians and other veterinary practice team members, the common answers are “work relief” or “open your own business so you can set your own schedule.” This attitude suggests that the only way to have flexibility is to not answer to anyone who can control or dictate your job schedules and responsibilities.

While working as an employee does typically require individuals to release independence and control of their schedules and job responsibilities to some degree in order to meet the needs of the business, there are plenty of ways that they can still enjoy flexibility and the improved quality of life that can accompany it.

In a previous article, we heard from some veterinary leaders who have found creative ways to implement flexibility for their teams. Here, we learn from practice team members about what flexibility means to them, why they need it, and how it affects their experience in the practice.

A case of changing flexibility needs

Cayla Couch, DVM, has benefitted from workplace flexibility in different ways and for different reasons throughout her career. As a newer veterinarian, she wanted to spend more time with her husband and travel. She wanted a predictable schedule and at least some time off on the weekends when her husband was not working. Working with her employer, she was able to create a rotating work schedule that worked for her and still met the needs of the clinic.

After welcoming their first child, Couch and her husband saw their scheduling needs and priorities change drastically. To minimize their need for childcare, she and her employer created a new schedule that saw her working one less day per week but every Sunday (when her husband could be home with their baby). This arrangement helped Couch and her husband save money on childcare expenses and maximize the time they spent with their child while still providing needed weekend coverage for Couch’s workplace. Couch said her employer has “never questioned” her requests for flexibility, which has had a huge positive impact on her quality of life.

Supporting families

Although it is not a need that is exclusive to this demographic, flexibility is frequently cited as an essential element of the workplace by working parents.

Maria Botinas, DVM defines flexibility as being able to change her schedule around the needs of her family. This includes last-minute changes like an unexpected appointment or a need to pick up her kids early from school. Alayana Rust, DVM, identifies flexibility as reducing her anxiety and stress around having to miss work if she needs to in order to meet her family’s needs. Jessie Bethany, DVM values the ability to dictate her own schedule within reason as long as she is “productive” and gets her work done in a “timely manner.”

Amy Bennett, DVM, values her ability to come in late or leave early if needed because of her kids’ needs. Because of this flexibility, she says, she’s made it to almost all her kids’ sporting events over the last eight years. She can see this flexibility being just as important as she transitions to caring for her parents in the future.

Bennett’s experience with flexibility echoes what many others have shared—that it’s a major reason she’s stayed at her current practice for more than 22 years. “It’s what I consider an intangible benefit that is worth much more than money,” she said. So much so, that she reports having turned down signing bonuses of upwards of $50,000 at other local practices because she values the flexibility she already enjoys.

Supporting and valuing the whole person

There are plenty of other reasons besides family caregiving responsibilities to need and request job flexibility.

Ashley R., a veterinary technician, reports that workplace flexibility is essential for her professional success and overall health. She benefits from her employer’s flexibility in scheduling which allows her to attend medical appointments for her chronic health conditions and prioritize her physical health while still performing her job duties.

“I believe allowing for flexibility at work allows for the individual to experience a better work-life balance and makes the employee feel valued enough to stay in the practice for years to come,” she said.

For Emily Yunker, DVM, CVMRT,  job flexibility allows her to experience personal and professional fulfillment outside of her clinical responsibilities. “I set my hours and my days as long as appointment times are within hours where there are assistants available,” she said. “This has allowed me to plan trips, take CE, and lean into projects at work or outside work as needed.”

Advice for those looking for more flexibility

When it comes to finding and benefiting from a flexible workplace, those who currently enjoy it have some great advice for others.

Leigh Hill, a veterinary assistant, stresses that a culture of flexibility doesn’t just come from the leadership team. It requires effort from the whole team. This can include coworkers being willing to trade shifts with each other or help cover for each other when one of them has a need for time away from the clinic.

Ideally, this would be a two-way street where team members support each other with the assurance that the same support would be provided to them in their own time of need and that their willingness to adjust to others’ needs will not be abused. “Everyone needs to be respectful and not take advantage,” Hill said.

Wanda Pulley, a practice manager, adds that creating flexibility requires intentionality and planning. In her practice, this includes planned times for longer lunch breaks for team members on a quarterly basis, with the tasks they would normally be responsible for covered by management so that they feel encouraged to relax.

Choosing a work environment that is likely to be supportive and understands the needs of flexibility is also important.

For Yunker, that means choosing a multi-doctor environment with many shift options so that she has the ability to chose what works for her in the phase of life in which she finds herself. “This prevents burnout,” she said, “and avoids people feeling pushed out when they cannot meet a specific schedule for a period of time.”

Adequate staffing is critical for flexibility for non-veterinarian team members as well, Ashley R. said. This way, both the individual in need of flexibility and the rest of the team can all feel supported when schedules or job responsibilities change.

Additionally, it is essential for those of us who value flexibility in our workplace to figure out what that would look like ideally and not be afraid to ask for it.

“There are so many different possible schedules out there,” Crouch said. “Most employers are willing to be flexible. At the end of the day, it is your life and your happiness. We’ve spent so much time and money to get to this job, and it should be what we wanted it to be.”

This article is part of our Stay, Please series, which focuses on providing resources (as identified in our Stay, Please retention study) to retain the 30% of all veterinary professionals considering leaving their clinical practice. Here at AAHA, we believe you were made for this work, and we’re committed to making clinical practice a sustainable career choice for every member of the team. 

Photo credit: Graphicscoco © E+ via Getty Images Plus 

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.