Advise on employing general farm worker

It’s mostly just me with my wife taking care of the books.

However in the last few years I’ve also had someone field walking and soil sample collecting during the summer and for ten years have had a self employed chap driving a second spreader from August to October.

Now I’m looking to set on two subcontractors with their own spreaders, me full time and my second spreader hopefully out 2-3 days a week when I’m busy.

I’m not getting any younger and many people have wondered over the years how I manage to get so much done, and to be honest I want to do a bit less, not more.
 
It’s mostly just me with my wife taking care of the books.

However in the last few years I’ve also had someone field walking and soil sample collecting during the summer and for ten years have had a self employed chap driving a second spreader from August to October.

Now I’m looking to set on two subcontractors with their own spreaders, me full time and my second spreader hopefully out 2-3 days a week when I’m busy.

I’m not getting any younger and many people have wondered over the years how I manage to get so much done, and to be honest I want to do a bit less, not more.
Do have children who some day may wish to take over?
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
It’s mostly just me with my wife taking care of the books.

However in the last few years I’ve also had someone field walking and soil sample collecting during the summer and for ten years have had a self employed chap driving a second spreader from August to October.

Now I’m looking to set on two subcontractors with their own spreaders, me full time and my second spreader hopefully out 2-3 days a week when I’m busy.

I’m not getting any younger and many people have wondered over the years how I manage to get so much done, and to be honest I want to do a bit less, not more.
How's the xerion project going?
 

mf298

Member
I am interested in the mentality that says you will only employ the self employed. That is already a very very sticky wicket to be on as we know, but lets look at the implications of it. You are, in effect, stating that you value the input and time that person brings to your business, but you are totally unwilling to extend them any protections that employed workers will enjoy.

Why is that, I wonder? There is, quite rightly, a national outrage when companies employ people on zero hours contracts and treat them unfairly, but apparently in agriculture is it considered normal that no one employed by the industry will ever pay their own NI contributions or enjoy a workplace pension?

Lets not have the usual 'no money in agriculture' line. That poor pony has been trotted out too many times.

Unfortunately still too many in the industry have never been on the other side of the fence, and would maybe just struggle a little bit to fit in as an employee or self employed man. Please note I am not tarring all with this brush! But experience over the years reinforces my opinion! The ones who have been away from home and worked for others will more often than not be a better employer for it. As for the "self employed" status - well many would not be classed as such by HMRC if investigated. Interesting fact, it would be the employer who would be liable for any back tax if such a person was found by investigation to be employed! Other industries are finding this to their cost!
Tin hat well pulled down and secured.
 
I am not remotely interested in the 'employee earns more than employer' line. Lots of businesses would have huge labour costs that exceed any residual profit or shareholder dividends, ultimately if you arent making the money you jack it in.

I do not believe the country will be better off with legions of people entering the gig economy. The trick is to adopt the best parts of the German and Scandinavian model.
 
Well I’m glad you have the answer to the labour problem. :p

I assume you employ lots of great people.

There no way I could employ a full time person. Approximately 80% of my turnover is earnt during two months of the year. The rest of the year I can cope on my own. How would you solve that problem.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
Well I’m glad you have the answer to the labour problem. :p

I assume you employ lots of great people.

There no way I could employ a full time person. Approximately 80% of my turnover is earnt during two months of the year. The rest of the year I can cope on my own. How would you solve that problem.

I think (if it was here not sure about there) you would have to employ someone on a 2 month fixed term contract. Employees don't have to be "full time" and you can be employed by more than one person at a time.
I think labour only self employed is a very grey area and its the employer that eats the cost. Perhaps not so bad if you employ a farmer or someone with another actual business though.
The other option would be expand your business and provide other services or sub contract out your employee perhaps?
All the lime guys here do fertiliser too, spreaders run for large parts of the year.
 

Hfd Cattle

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Hereford
Unfortunately still too many in the industry have never been on the other side of the fence, and would maybe just struggle a little bit to fit in as an employee or self employed man. Please note I am not tarring all with this brush! But experience over the years reinforces my opinion! The ones who have been away from home and worked for others will more often than not be a better employer for it. As for the "self employed" status - well many would not be classed as such by HMRC if investigated. Interesting fact, it would be the employer who would be liable for any back tax if such a person was found by investigation to be employed! Other industries are finding this to their cost!
Tin hat well pulled down and secured.
No need for the tin hat ! Very true words ! One way of getting around the HMRC problem for a self employed worker is to get them to buy a cheap old tractor that they can occasionally do a bit of chainharrowing with or such like and they can legitimately bill for 'tractor hire ' for a proportion of the hours done . They will then need to show a few receipts for diesel ,repairs etc but providing they can prove that their income is not purely labour derived then HMRC will have no question.
 
Yes, of course. @czechmate

We are very much of the opinion that farming will always be here, go and do something else and come back if you want to.

They are very busy with out of school sports and other interests and helping me out is way down their list of stuff to do.

However, they enjoy it and because my “farming “ is on a hobby scale we can fit jobs in around whoever is here to help.

My lad is all farming when it comes to his choice of career. We are at least trying to make him aim higher than working here, but I’ve a feeling we are going to fail!
 
Yes, of course. @czechmate

We are very much of the opinion that farming will always be here, go and do something else and come back if you want to.

They are very busy with out of school sports and other interests and helping me out is way down their list of stuff to do.

However, they enjoy it and because my “farming “ is on a hobby scale we can fit jobs in around whoever is here to help.

My lad is all farming when it comes to his choice of career. We are at least trying to make him aim higher than working here, but I’ve a feeling we are going to fail!
Would say your acres to apply lime are bigger ? These days ?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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