Employee Benefits

Competitive Salaries

 Our vet, veterinary nurse and graduate salaries are very competitive with the market.

Flexible Working

We are as flexible as possible in all our roles. We support our vet practitioners with flexible working to support their wellbeing. Our vets can work a four day flexible shift patterns at all CVS first opinion practices.

Forward Thinking Policies

We have a comprehensive range of some of the most generous and forward thinking policies in the profession, designed to support our colleagues:

• Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave Our colleagues receive 10 weeks of 100% pay and 50% pay for another 10 weeks on maternity leave and 50% pay for two weeks on paternity leave. We were first to offer enhanced maternity pay to support colleagues in starting a family and then returning to work.
• Sick pay: Our new exceptional health-related events will extend sick pay for up to eight weeks full pay for colleagues. It will be available to on a discretionary basis to all colleagues affected by a serious illness or diagnosed with a health condition that requires hospitalisation, major surgery and treatment, and will also apply to major surgery as part of a gender transition – which is believed to be a veterinary industry first.
• Fertility treatment: Our new fertility policy will provide all colleagues with up to five days paid leave to attend fertility investigations, receive and recover from fertility treatment, or support their partner during treatment.
• Pregnancy loss: Our pregnancy loss policy will provide all colleagues and partners who suffer pregnancy loss in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy with up to a week’s paid compassionate leave.

Extensive Benefits

We have one of the most extensive ranges of benefits for colleagues on the market:

• Workplace pension: All colleagues are enrolled into our company pension scheme, a scheme which all eligible employees are required to be a part of. CVS will also contribute towards our employees’ pension fund alongside their own payments.
• Bonus: We run a competitive bonus scheme that rewards great all-round performance.
• Save as You Earn scheme: This allows colleagues to save regular amounts each month over a three-year period and benefit from increases in the Group’s share price over that time.
• Practice Accommodation: For some positions and practices, accommodation may be available as part of the package.
• Relocation Allowance: For some positions, a relocation support package may also available, to help support when moving to a new area.
• Annual leave: All staff receive a minimum of 33 days annual leave a year (pro-rata), including an allowance for bank holidays.
• Holiday buy back: Colleagues can then purchase up to a further two weeks holiday through our holiday buying and selling scheme.
• Long Service Award: Our colleagues receive long service awards of an extra day’s holiday for every years’ service up to a maximum of five days for five completed years.
• Health cash plan: We have launched a new free health cash plan to look after our colleagues’ financial, physical and mental wellbeing – enabling colleagues to claim back the cost of a range of medical treatments including dental, optical, physiotherapy and specialist consultations.
• Private medical insurance: We are offering colleagues access to competitively priced private medical insurance – for virtual GP services, fast track referrals to specialists, plus access to private hospitals, tests and eligible treatment when needed. The scheme will also include physiotherapy, health issues, and counselling and support services – both for work related and personal issues.
• Critical illness cover: We are making critical illness cover and life insurance available to colleagues at competitive rates – as a financial safety net to protect them and their family.
• Employee Assistance Programme: We have teamed up with Health Assured to provide a free service that’s there to help our employees with their emotional health. The Employee Assistance Helpline is a free, confidential telephone support line that is open to all CVS employees and their family 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Discounted treatment for your pet: To help with the cost of veterinary care for pets we offer employees discount on the total practice bill for treatment and also cost price drugs and consumables. Employees also receive discounts on the cost of practice bought pet food.
• Animed Direct discounts: Animed Direct is our online veterinary dispensary. CVS colleagues are able to benefit from discounts on animal medicines, products and food from this site.
• Company car/Car allowance: If you’re joining us in a field-based or regional role, we will provide you with a company car. For certain roles we offer a car allowance.
• ULEV salary sacrifice car scheme: This new scheme enables colleagues to buy select ultra-low emissions electric or electric hybrid cars and pay back the cost of the car over time via monthly salary sacrifice.
• Recommend a Friend rewards: CVS employees who successfully recommend a friend or family member for employment can receive a referral bonus of up to £3,000. £0.7m was paid to our colleagues in 2022 as part of this scheme. We also offer a holiday of a lifetime draw (to win a holiday worth £10,000) for a successful referral.
• Discounted gym membership: Our colleagues will be able to purchase gym membership at discounted corporate rates from over 2,000 participating health clubs gyms and leisure centres. Saving up to 50% on the cost of membership for them and their partner, even if they are already an existing gym member.
• Cycle to Work: To encourage more people to commute by bike the government has created a tax relief scheme that offers huge savings on the cost of a new bike and safety equipment. This cost can be spread over a year and you benefit from the tax and national insurance savings of up to 42%. Bikes can be from over 1,950 retailers nationwide.
• PerkBox: All colleagues are given access to the online PerkBox platform where they can access a wide variety of discounts from 100’s of retail and leisure organisations.