Are some folk fit to manage others ?

Yorkshire lad

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
YO42
I was at Yams last week with a mate and we got chatting to a local farmer . He was moaning to us about struggling to find staff,he can't keep employees usually because of his temper and his lack of respect to his staff
After about 5 minutes of him slagging all his past employees, We left him and wondered if maybe he had been employed himself maybe his attitude would be different
Why is it that poor employers don't see that maybe its their management/ personal skills are lacking ?
 

stewart

Member
Horticulture
Location
Bay of Plenty NZ
Many years ago my dad was talking to a fellow farmer who was complaining about his staff and how that did not stay very long. My dad had never really had a problem with any staff and had a couple of them that stayed for over 25 years. "You are very lucky" said the fellow farmer, the reply my father gave him was that luck had nothing to do with it.
I suppose the fact that my dad had started his farming life as a general farm worker will have helped.
 

joe soapy

Member
Location
devon
Years ago i spent some time with an older farmer on a bus doing an nfu trip.
We were discussing emplyer/employee relationships, said a neighbour stopped him in the market and said he had seen his man in town the day before having a haircut during working time. He told the old chap that he should be sacked for sloping off.. His response was that he trusted the worker to manage his cows, look after the machinery
and do what needed to be done. was a poor job if the employee couldent be trusted to arrange his time also.
I changed after that from giving orders to more of a guiding role, must be over 30 years ago now and m.... is still working here thank heavens
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
We were brought up to work WITH the guys we employed and to never ask anyone to do a job that you weren’t prepared to do yourself. We’ve always tried to be fair and flexible when anyone wanted time off, etc.

We’ve had a few come and go obviously, but the one guy stayed from the age of 16 until he retired (still in his cottage on a low rent) and his son started full time at 16 and is still there now (nearly 50). The son and I, being the same age, used to spend hours on patrol together with air rifles, building dens & rafts, etc.

They were the good ones, there have been plenty that we allowed to stay too long IYKWIM. To that end, one of the things that I set out to plan into the system when I moved here, was not to have to employ anyone full time, other than Mrs NeilO of course. Other than struggling to get away, i can’t say i’ve Regretted that at all.:)
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
I know for a fact, that never having worked for anyone made me a bad employer, certainly for the first ten years.
Having the arrogance of youth , makes it difficult to understand the workings of a 50 year old who has done the job all his life.
I always regret the fact I did not go and get a job working for others for a few years, but family circumstances put me where I was
 

RobFZS

Member
Once you've worked for some shithouse you'll never wish it on anyone else, unless they start taking the pee , but a quick snipe gets them back in line and then it's all roses.
 
Many years ago my dad was talking to a fellow farmer who was complaining about his staff and how that did not stay very long. My dad had never really had a problem with any staff and had a couple of them that stayed for over 25 years. "You are very lucky" said the fellow farmer, the reply my father gave him was that luck had nothing to do with it.
I suppose the fact that my dad had started his farming life as a general farm worker will have helped.
Luck will probably play a part in finding a good employee, a good one needs to be looking for a job and find a job on offer first.
Keeping a good employee will be about more than luck, although even then people's circumstances can change, employees sometimes want to move on for reasons beyond the farm gate but at least in such situations hopefully they will leave amicably with both wishing each other the best of "luck" for the future.
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
The British disease, managers who are not fit to manage. :(

Most are ok, some are excellent but many are awful (and I've worked for some).

Being forced to manage staff when it's not what you want to do / are no good at is stressful and depressing.

If you have to micro-manage your staff then something is wrong, very wrong. Look hard at yourself first before you blame them. Do they always understand what you are asking of them? (Often your fault if not).
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
What overtime rate does Mrs NeilO get?
Maybe she's salaried staff of course?

She is in a salaried position, which by pure coincidence, works out at just slightly below the tax & NI thresholds.

She will probably get fringe benifits in kind,,,, wonder how she declares that on her tax return:D

You'd like to think so but I think I paid her more before I started paying her:unsure:. I must be getting something wrong in my industrial relations strategy:scratchhead:.
 

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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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