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Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde2020; 162(2); 107-112; doi: 10.17236/sat00247

[Professional entry into equine medicine].

Abstract: In the present study phone interviews on working hours, salary, professional satisfaction and other topics were carried out with 30 equine veterinarians. None of the participants had more than five years of work experience. The gross annual wages ranged from CHF 36'400 to CHF 91'500. The study participants worked 42 to 93 hours per week. Only 13% were moderately satisfied with the job, the remaining participants were satisfied to highly satisfied. Sixty percent of the study participants were dissatisfied with their wages and wished to be paid according to the Swiss Veterinary Association (GST) salary recommendations. Five out of 27 wages were within the recommended ranges. The lowest wages were paid at the universities. Sixteen people worked more than the legal maximum of 50 hours a week. A big difference in total working hours per week existed. Especially since part-time workers had more working hours than participants in a full-time job. The study reflects the situation before 2018 and especially at the universities, before the introduction of a new employment contracts with a 50h week, wage adjustments and defined times for further training. In dieser Studie wurden 2018 30 Tierärztinnen und ­Tierärzte aus Pferdepraxen und Pferdekliniken zu Arbeitsstunden, Einkommen, Zufriedenheit und anderen Themen telefonisch befragt. Sie hatten nicht mehr als fünf Jahre Berufserfahrung. Die Bruttojahreslöhne hatten eine Spannbreite von 36’400.– CHF bis 91’500.– CHF. Die Studienteilnehmenden arbeiteten 42 bis 93 Arbeitsstunden pro Woche. Nur 13% waren mit der Arbeitsstelle mässig zufrieden, der Rest ist gut bis voll und ganz zufrieden. Sechzig Prozent der Studienteilnehmenden waren unzufrieden mit ihrem Lohn und wünschten sich eine Bezahlung gemäss den Lohnempfehlungen der Gesellschaft Schweizer Tierärztinnen und Tierärzte (GST). Fünf von 27 Löhnen befanden sich innerhalb dieser vorgeschlagenen Bandbreiten. Die niedrigsten Löhne wurden an der Universität bezahlt. Sechzehn Personen arbeiteten mehr als die gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Höchstzahl von 50 Arbeitsstunden pro Woche. Zusätzlich bestand eine grosse Differenz in der Anzahl der Wochenarbeitsstunden. Vor allem, da Teilzeit-Arbeitende zum Teil mehr Arbeitsstunden hatten als solche mit einer Vollzeitstelle. Die Studie widerspiegelt damit insbesondere an den Universitäten die Situation vor der Einführung eines neuen Arbeitsvertrages mit der 50h Woche, den Lohn­anpassungen und definierten Zeiten für Weiterbildung ab Januar 2018. Dans cette étude, 30 vétérinaires travaillant dans des pratiques et des cliniques équines ont été interrogés par téléphone quant à leurs heures de travail, leur revenu, leur satisfaction et d’autres sujets. Ils n’avaient pas plus de cinq ans d’expérience professionnelle. Le salaire annuel brut allait de 36 400 CHF à 91 500 CHF. Les participants à l’étude ont travaillé de 42 à 93 heures par semaine. Seuls 13% étaient modérément satisfaits de leur place de travail, les autres étaient satisfaits voire entièrement satisfaits. Soixante pour cent des participants à l’étude étaient insatisfaits de leur salaire et souhaitaient être payés conformément à la recommandation salariale de la SVS. Cinq des 27 salaires se situaient dans ces fourchettes suggérées. Les salaires les plus bas étaient payés par l’université. Seize personnes travaillaient plus que le maximum légal de 50 heures par semaine. Il y avait également une grande différence dans le nombre d’heures travaillées par semaine. En particulier les travailleurs à temps partiel avaient parfois travaillé plus d’heures que ceux disposant d’un emploi à temps plein. L’étude reflète la situation, notamment dans les universités, avant l’introduction d’un nouveau contrat de travail avec la semaine de 50h, les ajustements salariaux et les horaires définis pour la formation continue à partir de janvier 2018. In questo studio sono stati intervistati via telefono 30 veterinari di studi e cliniche che si occupano di equini sui loro orari di lavoro, reddito, soddisfazione e altri argomenti. Gli intervistati non avevano più di cinque anni di esperienza professionale. Gli stipendi lordi annui variano da CHF 36 400 a CHF 91 500. I partecipanti allo studio lavoravano dalle 42 alle 93 ore settimanali. Solo il 13% era moderatamente soddisfatto del lavoro, gli altri erano da buono a pienamente soddisfatti. Il sessanta per cento dei partecipanti allo studio non era soddisfatto del proprio stipendio e vorrebbero essere pagati secondo le raccomandazioni salariali della GST/SVS. Solo cinque dei 27 stipendi rientravano negli intervalli della GST/SVS. I salari più bassi venivano pagati dalle università. Sedici persone lavoravano più delle 50 ore settimanali massime prescritte dalla legge. Inoltre vi è una grande differenza nel numero di ore lavorate alla settimana. Ciò era vero soprattutto per i lavoratori a tempo parziale che a volte avevano più ore di lavoro di quelli a tempo pieno. Lo studio riflette la situazione, in particolare nelle università, prima dell’introduzione di un nuovo contratto di lavoro con la settimana di 50 ore, adeguamenti salariali e gli orari previsti per l’ulteriore formazione da gennaio 2018.
Publication Date: 2020-02-01 PubMed ID: 32004141DOI: 10.17236/sat00247Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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This research article discusses a survey of 30 equine veterinarians, focusing on their working hours, earnings, and job satisfaction. It found that many were working over the legal limit of 50 hours per week and were dissatisfied with their earnings.

Survey Methodology and Respondents

  • The research was conducted via telephone interviews with 30 equine veterinarians.
  • All participants had no more than five years of professional experience, providing a focused look at the issues facing early-career professionals.

Work Hours and Satisfaction

  • The veterinarians worked 42 to 93 hours per week, with 16 respondents exceeding the legal maximum of 50 hours.
  • Surprisingly, part-time employees reportedly worked more hours than those in full-time positions.
  • Overall, the majority of respondents reported being satisfied or highly satisfied with their jobs, although 13% reported only moderate satisfaction.

Earnings and Expectations

  • The annual salaries of the veterinarians ranged from CHF 36,400 to CHF 91,500.
  • However, 60% of respondents stated that they were not satisfied with their paychecks.
  • Many wished to be paid according to the salary recommendations provided by the Swiss Veterinary Association (GST).
  • In the study, only five out of 27 salaries fell within these recommended ranges.
  • The lowest salaries were reportedly earned by those working at universities.

Context and Implications

  • The study was conducted before 2018, indicating that the issues raised might have been addressed partially or wholly since then.
  • Particularly, the situation at universities might have changed as new employment contracts were introduced in 2018, implementing a 50-hour week, wage adjustments, and defined times for additional training.
  • Despite these potential improvements, the study underscores the strain on young professionals in the field of equine veterinary Medicine, with significant workloads and low job satisfaction, especially concerning pay.

Cite This Article

APA
Stoller N, Christen G, Graubner C. (2020). [Professional entry into equine medicine]. Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd, 162(2), 107-112. https://doi.org/10.17236/sat00247

Publication

ISSN: 1664-2848
NlmUniqueID: 0424247
Country: Switzerland
Language: ger
Volume: 162
Issue: 2
Pages: 107-112

Researcher Affiliations

Stoller, N
  • Institut Suisse de Médecine Équine (ISME), Universität Bern und Agroscope, Bern.
Christen, G
  • Institut Suisse de Médecine Équine (ISME), Universität Bern und Agroscope, Bern.
Graubner, C
  • Institut Suisse de Médecine Équine (ISME), Universität Bern und Agroscope, Bern.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Salaries and Fringe Benefits
  • Switzerland
  • Time Factors
  • Veterinarians / economics
  • Veterinarians / psychology
  • Veterinarians / trends

Citations

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