Owners

Use these guidelines to decide when to send documents to the shredder.

In November 2005, a California Superior Court Judge declared unlawful a 2003 West Hollywood ordinance that made animal declawing?except for therapeutic purposes?a criminal act.

Some clients view an office visit as an opportunity to catch up on an assortment of neglected pet health problems. Use these techniques to stay on topic and on schedule.

Paying equally doesn't always make sense in a partnership, especially when doctors aren't contributing in the same ways. A tiered-compensation system can account for these variances.

As an employer, you want to provide the safest environment for your workers. Yet even with extreme precautions, accidents happen. Worker's compensation is designed to provide medical care and compensation to those who are injured in on-the-job accidents?and to protect employers from lawsuits resulting from workplace accidents.

Use this sample collection letter as a starting point as you work to control accounts receivable.

What tax rules apply to awards given to employees for service?

How many warnings should I give, and when should I fire someone?

We're taking our practices to the next level by introducing quality control protocols. Better control means better results, which gives us the foundation we need to be more than just a good hospital; we want to be great.

Does your accounts receivable make up more than 2.5 percent of your practice's yearly gross income if you're a small animal hospital and 4 percent to 5 percent if you're equine or large animal? If so, it's time to take action.

The AVMA Executive Board recently approved a position statement on stem cells, supporting and encouraging the ethical study and use of animal stem cells for the benefit of animal and human health.

What are the legal issues in hiring my 13-year-old daughter to work after school?

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.