Finding – and retaining – good farm workers can be a challenge for many farmer employers, according to professional agri services firm Ifac.
Consequently, the accounting and advisory company has outlined 15 top tips for farmers to look after their teams to help with this quandary.
In Ifac’s Irish Farm Report 2021 found that 22% of farmers employ people on their farm.
A key issue, however, is that 20% say that the right people are hard to find, the firm notes.
Una Burgess, Ifac’s head of HR, explained her top 15 tips for looking after one’s team, stating:
- “Treat your employees as you would like to be treated. Lead by example but remember your employees will rarely work as hard or as long as you; they don’t own your farm, you do;
- Make sure your employees receive a contract of employment when you hire them;
- Don’t use net pay agreements. Agree a gross (before tax) rate of pay per hour;
- Remember to make sure you are compliant with applicable pay rates. Ireland’s National Minimum Wage is now €10.20 (before tax) per hour;
- Be aware of benefit in kind. If you are giving your employee the use of a vehicle or other non-cash incentives, it may be subject to benefit in kind (a tax charge on the deemed value of the benefit);
- Make sure you pay fairly and on time, every time;
- Give your employees a payslip each time they are paid;
- Keep a record of hours worked and give your employees the appropriate rest breaks;
- Honour all agreements on overtime, profit share or bonuses etc;
- Reward extra effort. You can give your employees a tax free voucher of up to €500 once per year;
- Give clear direction on what tasks you require your employees to complete and provide appropriate training;
- Give clear, straight forward and honest feedback;
- Be flexible – we all need to go to a doctor / dentist / parent-teacher meeting etc. sometimes at short notice;
- Always be mindful of your employees’ health and safety and promote the importance of safety in your workplace;
- Think win-win, if you look after your employees, they will look after your business.”
Noting that managing people can be a challenging task, Ifac concluded by stating:
“Having a clear consistent approach to people management is vital. Be a good manager and you will retain your best people.”