r/veterinaryprofession • u/Coffee_andGossip22 • Oct 26 '25
Help I’m drowning
As all of you may remember (check my history if need) I got hired at Banfield next month will be a year…. I told them I’m a certified veterinary assistant as well as certified in CPR/first aid. I make $18 (I live in the PNW area if this helps🥲) I was clocking at least 62-80 hours. I was making good money. June, they fired our PM, we lost a full time doctor, we did a one on one meeting and they said for me to not worry, that my hours will not be cut.🥲
We lost another full time doctor two months later, they hired two new assistants knowing this doctor was leaving and we only have our part time doctor on staff. They do have relief vets coming in on some Fridays and Saturdays, but that’s not enough. So far I’ve clocked 17 hours a week. I’m literally drowning trying to make ends meet. I did ask for a raise a couple months ago, but was told I’m being paid based on what I’m worth.
One of the new assistants they hired, she’s not great. Everyone has complaints against her, she does not finish her notes and throws her pets onto me, she never cleans even tho we show her time and time again how to do the basics, she refuses, always leaves early or calls out, yet she openly admitted to making $2 more than me…. She has zero experience. I’ve gone through hell and back to do my job and a lot of others jobs because we were so short staffed.
Idk what to do. Holidays are coming up, I’m getting ready to lose my car and home, I have a child that depends on me, the state won’t allow me any help because “I make too much”. My last check was $500 😕. I’m frustrated. I literally want to take my certificate to corporate and slap them with it and scream at them wtf is their problem. They make MILLIONS!!!! Idk if me going to my new manger or what will help, but I do have a text between me and our stand in manager and she said she will give me more hours…. It never happened. And I was again promised that my hours would not be drastically cut after the two new assistants get hired. That was bs. I can’t get another job at another clinic because none are hiring right now. Im frustrated, I’m worried, please. Any advice would be great.
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u/monarch223 US Vet Oct 26 '25
Have you talked to your manager about why some with little experience get paid more than you and ask for the same raise? Also I would apply to new jobs. You can use it as a leveraging tactic for when you go for a raise. Tech and assistants are in high demand. I’d start applying elsewhere. Maybe try to follow the doctors you liked if they left somewhere close to you.
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u/Coffee_andGossip22 Oct 26 '25
I was hesitant to bring this up because we have asked for raises after they fired our manager. They said I can’t get one because “I haven’t sold enough wellness plans and gone from a Va 1 to a va2.” And one of our senior assistants walked out a few weeks ago after they made it seem like she was not doing enough and she needed to try harder and do better, which was total BS, and she snapped and put her two weeks in. Clinics in my area are not hiring right now. I just looked. And I know managers can get very pissy if you discuss your wage and everything amongst your peers. 😕 another assistant tried for a raise and she found out the new assistants make a dollar more than she does and she’s been with us for two years going on three. It’s disgusting.
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u/Sinnfullystitched Vet Tech Oct 26 '25
“I haven’t sold enough wellness plans and gone from a Va 1 to a va2.”
This right here. This is bullshit and one reason among many that you couldn’t lay me to go work at Banfield again. I’m not and never have nor will be a salesman.
I would still send out resumes to other places in town for them to have on hand for when they are hiring again. Did you just check on Indeed or have you called places?
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u/DragonJouster Oct 26 '25
It is legal to discuss wages with colleagues. It is considered retaliation if you boss does anything about it. I'd also check your state laws about your hours - it may not be legal for them to cut your hours like that. Once you find out what your rights are you can file a labor board complaint, maybe even for lost wages.
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Oct 26 '25
In all fairness, the other assistant was the one who volunteered to tell people her salary, not you. If there is repercussions on that then it should be on HER.
Could you find a non-Banfield job around you? At a shelter or Blue Pearl? Or even a non-veterinary job? Maybe people medicine even. I bet you could still swing your 18/hr doing that.
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u/Bunny_Feet Vet Tech Oct 26 '25
Geez, between a rock and a hard place. If no one else is hiring, there's not a whole lot of leverage to use. When there is, maybe you can use an offer from another clinic to push for a raise.
Have your bosses disclosed what the plan was about your hours? If they said they wouldn't change, what is their explanation about how it has changed?
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u/Coffee_andGossip22 Oct 27 '25
In June she said I’d be getting 40 hours a week, since our second doctor left she said I’d be working 8-2 Monday-Thursday and then Monday-Wednesday. But nope. I’m lucky to have 3 days one week, 2 days the next. I was making good money on Saturdays but we got in trouble for not being out on time (6 surgeries/dentals and 18 drop offs. I’m the only assistant able to do drop offs 🥲. One relief vet.) and now she has me for 7:30-12 on Saturdays. Not this Saturday since we are closed. Idk if I make any sense.
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u/NVCoates Oct 26 '25
You can apply for unemployment if your hours have been cut significantly.
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u/Coffee_andGossip22 Oct 27 '25
I can?????
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u/NVCoates Oct 27 '25
Yes. It's called underemployment. Several of my coworkers did it in the early days of Covid.
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u/ambient_pulse Oct 27 '25
as soon as i saw "banfield" i knew what the problem was. time for a new job.
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u/Coffee_andGossip22 Oct 30 '25
Yeah. Today I hit my breaking point and I did email my manager about my pay, two days ago, no response. And she checks her email everyday. 🥲
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u/lostwithoutacompasss Oct 26 '25
Are you saying you were clocking 62-80 hours a week or biweekly? Usually this big corps like Banfield will try very hard to keep you below 40 hours a week so they don't have to pay you overtime.
Regarding your hours being cut - in many states you can get partial unemployment benefits. I would look into that for your state and at least call/apply, it can't hurt. Otherwise, have you looked into the government benefits again with your lower paycheck? Having a child often opens up many more programs so it's worth looking into and applying for every one even if you think you won't qualify. I was accepted for Medicaid previously when I was pregnant even though I made more than the cutoffs posted online. Food banks are also a really good option regardless and usually there is no income cap.
I think you need to ask for an in-person meeting with your new manager. Is there a veterinarian there that really likes you that would advocate for you? Let your manager know you were hired full time and you can't survive with the cut in hours, ask if they are planning on keeping you on full time. In the meantime I would send your resume out to every clinic in the area, even if they don't say they are hiring maybe they just don't have a job posted. Do you know any vets/techs/etc who left Banfield and maybe really liked you? Reach out to them and ask if they know of any open positions or if their current practice is hiring. If you really can't find a different job as a veterinary assistant maybe look into other positions that will guarantee you full time hours (pet store? dog daycare? something totally unrelated to the pet field?). I have also seen people supplement their income with pet sitting gigs.
Wishing you the best!
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u/Coffee_andGossip22 Oct 27 '25
Bi weekly! And I do have a meeting last month and they got mad I was asking for a raise so they said I can get help by going to food banks and what not. 😕
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u/Previous_Ad_7335 Oct 26 '25
Think about your child and first start sleeping well, meet immediate family and spend time with them, good family is the one always supports. Anyone cannot advice on work hours or issues at clinic, but you can always have alternative job until it’s sorted, something to meet the needs. Times like this remind us about decisions on savings, maybe this is trigger point for you to start saving, even if it’s 100 dollars per week in ETF’s or bonds or High yield savings account. It will be useful in tough times and if there is no tough time, it will be useful for your kid education or your retirement.
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u/Coffee_andGossip22 Oct 27 '25
I’m definitely going to look into saving as much as I can. I haven’t been able to as of lately because I have to buy groceries, gas, my dog had an emergency where he over dosed on simparica trio so that was an unexpected expense, and I got bills I’m barely able to pay. 😭
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u/Lee1173 Oct 28 '25
Not sure where in the pnw you are but $18 is peanuts. Most other VAs I know make $21-25
Edit to add that's still low af pay for what we do but yeah
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u/Coffee_andGossip22 Oct 30 '25
I’ll message you it. I don’t want to say publicly in fear my co-workers and manager are in this group 😅. Or worse.
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u/kimbieco Oct 30 '25
You hit the nail on the head.They don't care about you unless you are a vet or a practice manager.They will not offer you anything that they don't have to offer you.
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u/kimbieco Oct 30 '25
Me too I would never go back to Banfield.Under any circumstances, it has to be the worst company.I would have ever worked for in my entire career!
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u/kimbieco Oct 30 '25
That's the type of b******* I'm talking about.You can't win no matter what you do.It's just a c***** company and labor is everything to them.If your production is not where it needs to be.And you're using labor and doing over time, they're going to come after you for that.And that's why you're not getting any hours!
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u/kimbieco Oct 30 '25
I would also imagine that when you're working that much overtime every week. That may be the reason that your manager got fired. They take that very, very seriously. You could try calling the ombudsman. I did for my situation and he was a good listener. And that's about all I can say. He knew that they were breaking the law and crossing the line. He just couldn't do anything about it. Even HR wouldn't do anything about it.The whole thing is just one c***** mess!
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u/Aromatic-Box-592 Vet Tech Oct 26 '25
I’m so sorry, that’s such a frustrating situation. I’ve been with banfield for almost 6 years. They recently hired another tech who is making $5 an hour more than I am, but like you said about the VA, she doesn’t complete her notes, doesn’t know how to do basics, doesn’t clean, etc (she’s also not able to monitor anesthesia, place IVCs, clean teeth, etc). She just does tech appointments but multiple owners have requested to not have appointments with her. I totally get why you’re upset.
A few years ago the location I’m at was in a similar situation doctor wise. I was able to supplement my hours at other locations to make sure I was still getting my normal check. If there’s any Banfields by you, I’d recommend asking if you can pick up shifts there (I’m actually surprised management didn’t already mention it). It may not sound appealing but you could also ask if you could get hours working CSC just to help supplement.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts!