Dear Labby: Getting some paw-spective on work-life balance

Dear Labby, 

My new team member seems to be very concerned with knowing what time their shift will end and wanting to leave on time as much as possible. This feels very different from the mindset I have always had. How can I come to accept this new way of working? 

Times are definitely changing when it comes to work-life balance, and veterinary medicine is no exception! In today’s fast-paced world where technology makes some workers feel like they’re always “on,” establishing boundaries between work and leisure can sometimes feel im-paw-sible. But even the busiest Border Collie needs time away from the sheep!  

If a team member starts sniffing around the topic of work-life balance, it doesn’t mean they’re lazy or counting the minutes until quitting time. More likely, they’ve had a ruff go before—burnout nipping at their heels, compassion fatigue weighing them down, or maybe student loans and stagnant wages adding extra fleas to the mix (*scratch scratch*). That paints a very different picture than someone who “just doesn’t want to work.” Rather, it’s more than likely someone who is in it for the long haul and sees work-life balance as a key component to career longevity.

And let’s be honest: the veterinary industry has long wagged its tail to the tune of always being available—helping as many pets and people as possible, no matter the toll. That dedication is noble, but it’s not the only way, and it’s certainly not always the healthiest way, to practice. Think of it this way: just because a Golden Retriever gets tired of fetching, that doesn’t make them any less loyal. 

To get some expert feedback on the topic, I asked Carina Christensen, BVSc(Hons), BSc(Hons), a veterinarian and leadership expert in Brisbane, Australia. She explained where the expectation that veterinary professionals always be available to pets and their families, even if that means staying late or coming in on their time off, may have come from.

“One of the common values for all veterinarians is to be kind,” she said. “We’re supposed to be guided by our love of animals.”  

Sometimes, Christensen said, that sense of devotion can lead us to neglect our own needs. “Sometimes kindness gets in the way of setting boundaries,” she explained. “Setting boundaries can be viewed as unkind and we don’t want to be unkind, so we stay, and we don’t complain about staying,” she added, out of a “sense of duty.” We are so eager to please that we stay, wag our tail, and just keep working even though we are exhausted hoping maybe someone will see our epic effort and throw us a bone. 

As a leader who focuses on com-paw-sion and the health of the veterinary team, Christensen has some thoughts on the importance of boundaries. “Setting boundaries is crucial for longevity in this profession,” she said. She also thinks that younger generations of veterinary professionals have a good understanding of this, and that their example will help all veterinary professionals feel more fulfilled and happy to stay around in vet med for longer.   

“We work in a science field – we should know things evolve, techniques improve, new treatments come along and so does leadership and management,” Christensen explained.  “Grow with it instead of staying stuck in the past especially when we know that what we’ve done in the past isn’t working and actually is causing harm.” 

So, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! But just like training, changing “the way things have always been done” takes time. 

Christensen said that all veterinary professionals know that vet med is not a job where you always know exactly when you’ll be able to leave every single day. She had some great insight for leaders who want to balance caring for the pets who need to be seen with protecting their team members’ wellbeing and need for protected time away from work: 

• Carefully manage the schedule so that when things inevitably change, the schedule can be adapted. For example, if a Labrador comes in after eating a sock (I would never!) and needs surgery right away, some of the other scheduled appointments might need to be moved around and rescheduled so that the team is not overwhelmed. 

• Rotate who stays late. We don’t all have the energy of a working dog, and since we know there will be days where someone has to stay late to finish up with the day, practices can make sure it’s not always the same people staying. And if you plan ahead of time, team members can know which days they might be responsible for staying later and which days they can plan to leave on time. This gives team members the peace of mind that they will have days they can head straight home to the pups or maybe just some kibble and a long nap. 

• Be clear about pay. “Provide clarity about renumeration,” Christensen said. While this will depend on how team members get paid, make sure they understand how they will be paid for staying late. Sometimes overtime pay is just the treat they need to stay motivated at the end of a long day! 

• Be transparent with clients, manage their expectations, and don’t be afraid to say “no” when needed. “Trust your brand so you don’t fall for the trap of saying yes to everything to the detriment of your staff,” Christensen warned. “You’ll lose their trust if you ever had it.” 

So the next time you have a new employee (or a paw-spective hire) who wants to know when they can expect to leave at the end of the day, just know that doesn’t mean they don’t want to work hard or that they care any less than you do—it  likely means they’re trying to guard their own work-life balance—so they’ll have the energy, stamina, and tail wags to keep caring for critters like me for the long haul. After all, who doesn’t like curling up on the couch after a long day? And in a demanding field like veterinary medicine, couch time is vital to the well-being of team members and the pets they care for. 

Photo credit: Ugur Karakoc/iStock via Getty Images 

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