Owners

A form to help you determine the costs of employment, such as health insurance, continuing education, dues, license, retirement programs, and payroll taxes.

Use this sample veterinarian evaluation form as a launching pad for written employee performance reviews or as a self-evaluation tool.

The rising cost of health care is taking a bigger chunk of the pie when it comes to the total compensation employers pay to employees.

The George Washington University Law School has teamed up with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to create the Animal Law Litigation Project. The goal of the program is to train students in animal law in a real-world setting. Students will have a chance to work with the HSUS's legal staff on federal and state court cases to protect wildlife, improve the treatment of performing animals and animals used in research, and to prevent systematic mistreatment of animals in factory farms.

In November, President Bush signed into law an addition to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that supports the development of open technology so all scanners can read all microchips.

Consider starting annual, seasonal, or quarterly events to expand your client base and retain current clients. Be creative: Make your promotions fun; make them silly!

I'm a bovine practitioner looking into ProSal compensation for my associates. I'm concerned with the percentage used to calculate the portion of the salary above the base. What percentage profit should a practice owner expect to make off of his associates?

As graduation approaches, my mind is a whirlwind of questions, concerns, and hopes. I'm ready to practice?mostly. Yet there's one topic that leaves me wary: salary. While production-based compensation and traditional salary historically have been the only two options, they each have room for improvement. But there's a third choice: the ProSal formula, developed by Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman, CVPM. To understand why I think ProSal is right for me and other new associates, consider these pros and cons.

When his workplace turned toxic and his partnership opportunity dried up, this doctor learned the hard way that it's better to cut your losses and move on&mdashbefore it's too late.

The IRS is changing rules that required employers to send in employee-withholding forms (Form W-4s) that claimed more than 10 exemptions or that claimed complete exemption from withholding when $200 or more in weekly wages was expected, according Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Gary Glassman, CPA, a partner with Burzenski & Co. PC in East Haven, Conn. Now, employers only need to submit a Form W-4 when the IRS requests one.

The best of both worlds, the ProSal compensation formula pays associates on a percentage of production and guarantees a base salary. Find out why this method's a top choice for associates, and why you'll like it, too.

Everyone knows that recognition is an integral component of managing and keeping team members happy. But admittedly, sometimes there's little or no budget for such rewards.

When most practice owners hear the four-letter word "OSHA," chills run up their spines. And I can certainly understand why—citations and fines aren't on anyone's wish list.

"If the unrestrained animal is the hospital's pet, the responsibility is clearly the hospital's," says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Karl Salzsieder, JD, a consultant with Salzsieder Consulting and Legal Service in Kelso, Wash. "If it's a client's pet, the liability depends on how the injury happened."

Only 21 percent of practices conduct performance evaluations, says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Karen Felsted, CPA, MS, CVPM, a consultant with Brakke Consulting Inc. in Dallas. Yet your success in practice largely depends on how well you manage people. And performance evaluations let employees know how they're doing, so they-and you-can improve.

Use this sample to develop your own written warning notice.

Legally, you can terminate an at-will employee at any time. Of course, there are some exceptions.

The veterinarian I work for has questionable ethics; he treats animals in ways that clients wouldn't approve.

Rep. Tom Lantos introduced the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (H.R. 3858), which would amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

At Catawba Animal Clinic in Rock Hill, S.C., it truly pays to be a longstanding employee.

Take these steps to document poor performance.

In October 2005, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed S.B. 861, which allows cities and counties to enact dog-breed-specific ordinances pertaining only to mandatory spay and neuter programs and breeding requirements.

Background checks are not a waste of time or money. Here's why.

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My assistant dispenses advice liberally. While it's typically correct, I don't think she should be giving medical advice without my approval. What sort of guidelines should I set?

"Increased customer loyalty is the single most important driver of long-term profitability," say Scott Robinette, Claire Brand, and Vicki Lenz, authors of Emotion Marketing: The Hallmark Way of Winning Customers for Life (McGraw-Hill, 2000).

Give your team the freedom to make the practice shine.

"We all want our staff members to work together as a team, but it's hard to ask this of your staff unless they know the steps to take," says Julia Culbreth, the practice manager at Jefferson Animal Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

It's easy to overlook the problems that come with making clients wait. We think, "Hey, it comes with the territory." We make excuses. And we hedge our bets, knowing most clients only grow dissatisfied when they wait more than 30 minutes. But that approach won't wow clients. In fact, even a short wait may leave clients disgruntled. So it's an issue you should aim to manage.