A team member who asks when a shift will end or wants to leave on time is not, by that fact alone, lazy or less committed. For veterinary practice leaders, the better response is to treat the request as a boundary to plan around—and to make unavoidable late coverage predictable, fairly shared, and clearly compensated.
What a request to leave on time may mean
When a new employee asks about their end time, it can feel unfamiliar if you have built your own career around staying until every task is finished. But different expectations about work are not proof of different levels of care. A predictable end time can help someone protect life outside work and sustain a long career in veterinary medicine.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Carina Christensen, BVSc(Hons), BSc(Hons), a veterinarian and leadership expert in Brisbane, Australia, argues that compassion needs boundaries as well as commitment. “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.” But, she explained, “Sometimes kindness gets in the way of setting boundaries.” Her conclusion: “Setting boundaries is crucial for longevity in this profession.”
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesChristensen’s comments are her perspective in an AAHA Trends article, not a formal AAHA or board policy. They invite leaders to question whether a team norm is genuinely necessary—or simply inherited from the way the work used to be done.
#1 Best Overall
How to handle late-running shifts without promising the impossible
Veterinary work includes urgent cases, so a practice cannot always guarantee that every shift will end at an exact time. The goal is not to pretend disruptions will disappear; it is to avoid making them routine, unpredictable, or the same person’s burden every time.
Plan for urgent work
Build schedules with room to adapt. When an urgent case changes the day, consider moving or rescheduling other appointments so the team is not overloaded. Tell employees as early as possible when a shift may run late rather than leaving them to discover the likely end time at the last minute.
Rank #2
Rotate late coverage
Share late stays across the team instead of relying repeatedly on the person who is least likely to object. Where possible, tell staff in advance which days they may be responsible for staying late and which days they can expect to leave on time. A fair rotation makes the disruption visible and reduces the risk that flexibility becomes an unspoken requirement for one employee.
Explain how late work is paid
State clearly how employees are compensated when they stay beyond their scheduled shift. Christensen advised leaders to “Provide clarity about renumeration,” using that spelling in the published article. The article does not specify wage laws or overtime rules for any jurisdiction; practices should check the requirements that apply where they operate.
Rank #3
Set client expectations without sacrificing staff wellbeing
Transparency with clients can help prevent a culture in which every request becomes an immediate commitment from the team. Explain what the practice can and cannot accommodate, and avoid saying yes to every request when doing so would repeatedly extend shifts or undermine staff wellbeing.
Christensen put the point this way: “Trust your brand so you don’t fall for the trap of saying yes to everything to the detriment of your staff,” she warned. “You’ll lose their trust if you ever had it.” Saying no when capacity is limited is not a failure of kindness; it can be part of setting honest expectations for clients and protecting the people who provide care.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reconsider the old measure of commitment
If you are unsettled by a team member’s focus on shift end times, separate the observable behavior from the judgment attached to it. Ask whether their work is being completed, whether patient care is supported, and whether the schedule and late coverage expectations are clear. A boundary around working hours does not, on its own, answer those questions.
Christensen also urged leaders to recognize that management norms can change: “We work in a science field – we should know things evolve, techniques improve, new treatments come along and so does leadership and management,” she said. She encouraged leaders to “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.”
Best Value
AAHA’s article points to its Stay, Please retention research and its Phase 1 and Phase 2 white papers, but it does not give a numerical finding from that research. Its practical message is narrower: boundaries matter to professional longevity, and leaders can respond by making schedules adaptable, sharing late work, clarifying compensation, and being candid with clients.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
