Staff retention requires dialogue.

The article reports that support staff is crucial to the overall success of an equine practice. Once quality employees have been identified and have become an integral part of the practice, the challenge to the practice owner is employee retention. Many factors come into play, and a balance must be struck between what is necessary to keep employees happy and what the practice can realistically provide. The most-important and obvious aspect of employee retention is compensation. ln most states, the federal minimum wage of 5.15 dollar per hour is not nearly enough to pay the rent and utilities for a one-bedroom apartment, according to a recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.