So I have been working at a veterinary clinic for about 9 months now. From the very beginning things have been bad on a professional level as well as a financial one. Long story short I graduated from college with my A.A.S in veterinary technology and passed my licensure boards which is a HUGE deal in the veterinary world because they usually just hire people with little to no experience and work their way up. Originally they seemed very happy to have me there as I was a valuable asset and didn’t need much training. They hire me and coast over pay during the interview process which I thought was weird. I let them know I needed to support myself and my husband because he’s going back to school full time and he won’t be working. (He did the same thing for me when I was in school.) They say that’s no problem and I begin work and I receive my first paycheck. They are paying me 9.25 an hour. Strike one.
Strike two. My first week of work one of the receptionists charges at our doctor in the back and they start screaming at each other. Some “beef” that they’ve had. Customers can hear- it’s embarrassing and she’s our only doctor who is needed in rooms. This goes on for 40 minutes and the receptionist goes home during her shift, she’s also never punished for this.
Strike three. Rude clientele. That’s a part of ever job, right? No. Here it’s fucking unreal. This is just one of many examples. A guy comes in with a dog that is lunging at me and actively trying to kill me. I’m 5”2 and 118 pounds. I politely let the owner know that he needs to place a muzzle on his dog so he can get his vaccines and a proper exam or he can come back tomorrow after he’s given his dog the proper sedation. So no charge for todays visit. He calls me a fucking bitch, and ASSAULTS ME. Dude shoved me into a door on his way out cursing. Management didn’t see a problem with this at all. Police weren’t called-nothing.
Strike four. One of our relief doctors refuses to work if it is inconvenient. I come to her with drop off appointments and rooms that are here for her and if it is inconvenient she bitches and moans about it until it’s the last minute and it bleeds into the next appointment time. She also inappropriately brings up religion and politics constantly in the rooms with clients and it’s super uncomfortable and unprofessional. If I ever ask her to repeat a dosage or something that needs to be explained to the client she says it slowly and super enunciated like I’m stupid.
Strike five. They hire people who don’t know what they are doing. Like I said a lot of our techs are older and have been doing this for as long as I have been alive. Sure they know from experience-but hear me out. We live right next to the school I graduated from and they pump out new candidates every spring. Instead of waiting a month for a new hire like I suggested they hire some girl who has no experience at all. Ever. This is someone who is going to be using general anesthesia on your animal. Venipuncture. Assisting in surgery. Taking radiographs. Sterilizing instruments and dosing medications. That’s scary. And she already allowed a dog to bite someone while she was supposed to be holding.
Strike six. Even though I could go on forever. We are already understaffed. And people just won’t show up for their shift or will leave during their shift and won’t be penalized. I had no benefits, shit pay, and no sick days. I didn’t even give them two weeks. When I articulated all of this to our HR manager who actually isn’t a HR manager- she just said mhm. Sorry you feel that way. So I left that day and I’m never going back. That place is a law suit waiting to happen.
I DID IT THOUGH AND I HAVE NEVER FELT BETTER!