Get the core employment contract right for vets and nurses

Veterinary roles can involve clinical decision-making, rota commitments, out-of-hours work, record handling, and responsibilities that are not always captured well in a generic contract. If those points are left vague, the document may not reflect the real expectations of the role. That can create uncertainty around duties, working time, confidentiality, or conduct. A contract drafted for a vet or nurse role is more likely to deal with the practical setup of the practice. The aim is to produce a clearer core document, not to cover every HR issue your practice may face.

A veterinary employment contract will usually deal with job title, duties, pay, hours, place of work, leave, notice, confidentiality, and termination. Depending on the role, it may also address rota patterns, emergency or out-of-hours expectations, professional responsibilities, and handling of client or animal records. The exact clauses depend on the position and the way your practice is organised. Where a nurse role differs materially from a vet role, the drafting should reflect that rather than using one broad form for everyone in the practice.

The drafting is based on the actual role, the practice setup, and any documents or policies the contract needs to work alongside. For example, we may need to know whether the employee works across multiple sites, participates in a rota, has management responsibilities, or handles sensitive records in a particular way. How you collect, use and disclose information will shape both the drafting and the advice. The practical working model can be just as important as the contract wording, so the contract should reflect what happens in practice.

Sometimes there can be overlap, but using one template for both roles is not always sensible. The responsibilities, supervision structure, and practical expectations can differ significantly between a vet and a veterinary nurse. A single generic form may gloss over those differences and leave important points unclear. A better approach is to draft the contract around the specific role you are hiring for, then consider whether parts of that wording can be reused later. That gives you a stronger starting point than trying to force very different roles into the same document.

For a straightforward matter, the first draft is usually prepared within several business days after we receive the information needed for the role. Timing can be longer if the practice structure is more complex, if there are multiple sites or unusual rota arrangements, or if further clarification is needed before drafting. The fixed-fee includes one round of amendments to refine the document. If you later need additional contracts for other roles, or broader employment advice beyond this document, that would be separate work and separately scoped.

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