April 22, 2026

158: Psychological Safety For Vets: Why The Job Might Need Fixing, Not The People. With Dr Rebecca Faris

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Season 1

"Maybe we're just picking the wrong people to be vets."

You've probably heard some version of that line. Maybe you've even said it. 'The new grads can't cope. The younger generation is too soft. If this profession isn't working for you, maybe the profession isn't the problem - maybe you are.'

But what if that's the wrong conversation entirely? Maybe it's not the people who need to change - but the job itself.

That's the question at the heart of this conversation with Dr Rebecca Faris, the lead of the Australian Veterinary Association's Thrive programme - an industry attempt to figure out how we make veterinary medicine a profession people can actually stay in and enjoy.

You'll learn:

    • Why a full-time working week in veterinary medicine probably shouldn't be 40 hours - and the official position from Safe Work Australia that will surprise you
    • The difference between psychological safety and psychosocial safety (one is a vibe, the other is the law - and if you own a practice in Australia, you need to know which is which)
    • What the new psychosocial safety legislation actually requires of practice owners
    • Why "playing to your strengths" isn't the same as avoiding the hard stuff - and how to have that conversation with your employer without sounding like you're asking for special treatment
    • The invisible emotional labour tax you're paying on every consult - and why recognising it changes everything
    • What genuinely great veterinary workplaces are doing differently, and why the "squeaky wheel" narrative is drowning out stories of practices that are getting it right
    • Why "I can't hack full-time" might not mean there's something wrong with you - and the self-compassion case for rethinking what a sustainable vet career actually looks like
    • How to get involved in shaping the future of this profession instead of quietly checking out

If you've ever felt wrecked at the end of a perfectly normal day and wondered whether it was you or the job - this one's for you.

Resources mentioned:

Rethinking the Veterinary Workweek: Why 40 Hours May Be Too Much

The traditional 40-to-50-hour workweek is increasingly being challenged as unsustainable for veterinary professionals due to the unique emotional and psychological demands of the role.

The 30-Hour Standard for Emotional Labor

According to Safe Work Australia, a body that assesses professional risks, the ideal full-time workweek for jobs carrying a heavy emotional load should be 30 hours, rather than the standard 40 or more,. This recommendation stems from the recognition that veterinary work involves significant emotional labor—managing intense emotions, handling challenging patients, and navigating difficult financial conversations,.
A 2021 survey found that 72% of veterinary staff find their work emotionally draining. This type of labor is often "invisible" compared to physical or cognitive tasks, yet it significantly contributes to fatigue and a lack of thriving,. For example, a clinician may feel "emotionally drained" and lack motivation even the day after a shift, despite nothing "catastrophically wrong" occurring during the workday.

Workload as a Psychosocial Hazard

Under modern safety standards and emerging legislation, excessive workload and high job demands are classified as psychosocial hazards. Overloading a team is no longer just a management issue but is increasingly seen as a failure to provide a psychologically safe environment. Dr. Rebecca Faris notes that many workplaces still try to force individuals into "preconceived molds" of what a vet job looked like 50 years ago, ignoring how society and family structures have changed,.

The Conflict of Sustainability vs. Profitability

While reducing hours to 30 per week might be the ideal for mental health, it presents significant structural challenges:
  • Financial Viability: There is a direct friction between the business need for profitability and the staff's need for a sustainable workload,.
  • Wage Standards: It remains unclear how vets can work 30 hours while still earning a "decent wage" and keeping services affordable for clients,.
  • Systemic Change: Rather than blaming individuals for not being "tough enough," the focus is shifting toward job crafting and flexibility to ensure the profession is a place where people can stay long-term,,.
Would you like me to create a quiz to test your understanding of the psychosocial hazards mentioned in the sources?

Flexibility and Job Crafting in Veterinary Practice

In the veterinary profession, flexibility and job crafting are increasingly viewed as essential tools for moving beyond mere survival toward true professional thriving. Dr. Rebecca Faris identifies flexibility as the most critical element to fix in the industry, arguing that workplaces must become more innovative to allow the job to work for the individual rather than forcing people into "preconceived molds".

The Core of Job Crafting

Job crafting is the practice of proactively shaping your role to better align with your personal strengths and interests. It involves:
  • Playing to Strengths: Finding regular opportunities to engage in tasks that "light you up," such as a vet who excels at surgery focusing on those cases while another who enjoys dentistry takes on the dental procedures.
  • Not Total Avoidance: It is not an excuse to avoid the "hard stuff" or inherent parts of the job that are unavoidable; rather, it is about creating a balance that promotes positive aspects of the work.
  • Equitable Participation: Ensuring all team members have access to the "fun parts" of the job as well as the necessary "drudgery".

Implementation and Communication

Successful job crafting requires a shift in how both employers and employees approach their roles:
  • Employee Responsibility: Vets are encouraged to be clear about their needs and communicate specific preferences—such as requesting specific types of consults—rather than just stating they are unhappy.
  • Psychological Safety: For these conversations to happen, there must be a culture of psychological safety, where staff feel they belong and can speak up about their needs without fear.
  • Business Viability: Flexibility must be balanced with the profitability and service needs of the clinic; it is a "square peg and round hole" problem where the business's parameters must still be met.

Systemic Change

The conversation is shifting away from the idea that vets who struggle are "snowflakes" or not "tough enough". Instead, the focus is on fixing the job itself through structural changes like flexible scheduling (e.g., emergency clinics allowing for different hours for childcare) and peer-supported learning to identify what works in a modern veterinary context.
Would you like me to create a tailored report summarizing the strategies for implementing job crafting in a clinical setting?

This episode is not an ad. We're not paid to feature Thrive or the AVA - we just think this is a conversation the profession needs to be having. If you've got thoughts, pushback, or your own story about thriving (or not) in practice, drop us a line at info@thevetvault.com.

For our clinical content, show notes, and our full back catalogue, head to thevetvault.com.

While you're there, check out our subscriber-only clinical podcast, our newsletter, and come and hang out with us in real life at Vets On Tour.

00:52 Rethinking the 40-Hour Workweek

03:03 Flexibility and Job Crafting

04:57 Are We Picking the Wrong People?

06:05 Playing to Strengths vs Business Needs

12:39 Psychological vs Psychosocial Safety

15:55 The New Laws: Employer Obligations

17:51 Identifying Psychosocial Hazards

20:40 Cultivating Safe Teams Training

24:45 Workload and Emotional Labor

32:34 Vets on Tour Break

34:27 Should Full-Time Be 30 Hours?

36:12 Inside the Thrive Initiative

39:31 Mental Health First Aid

41:35 Empathy for Difficult Clients

44:13 Wins and Optimism

46:27 How to Access Thrive

51:27 Closing Advice: Get Engaged