Employee & mates

Fendt

Member
I have absolutely no problem with a quick call to a mate, along the lines of.... yes I know I’m meant to be out tonight at 8, I’m still at work, be there as soon as I can. When it is blatant gossip on the phone for hours each day to the point of not being able to phone him myself to say I need you to do x y z then it is a problem. To solve this he will be banned from bringing his own phone to work and will be provided with a crummy old Nokia 3310. Call history will Then be itemised and scrutinised. Having the radio on so loud you can’t hear the phone ring means he can’t be concentrating fully on what he’s doing, hence negligence, carelessness, whatever you want to call it.
when he lets a mate drive the tractor unauthorised then I consider that a major breach of health and safety and grounds for instant dismissal. He has signed a list of authorised machinery operatives for that exact reason. If I Do or don’t dismiss him that is my decision based on numerous other business reasons.
Any major damage caused to machinery by negligence is also grounds for instant dismissal and again needs considering in the broader picture.
if this behaviour continues after a formal disciplinary meeting then he won’t be employed for long. He also won’t get a good reference From me when he tries to go and work anywhere nearby.
As for posting this on social media... I’m asking for guidance from those who might have gone through this already. If that opens me to some sort of liability then that is my risk. I hope this is anonymous enough with no names mentioned so far...
So, my final thoughts.... when at work, behave as though you are at work, not on some sort of modern jolly. Just because you might be out there working alone for a long time doesn’t make it an extension of your private life. You are being paid to do a job to a satisfactory standard. If you can’t put your phone down for a few hours and behave appropriately then sign on the dole and prepare to live your life on the equivalent of a handout for the rest of your days. You won’t find many serious farming businesses who will stand for this sort of crap. It’s no wonder we have such a high fatality rate for such a small amount of the workforce if we’re prepared to let these sort of issues go unchallenged. I will not allow an employee to jeopardise the future of my business, no matter how desperate I might be for help.
 
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Jumping to assumptions there aren’t you ?? For your information I have a perfectly reasonable boss who understands that employees have a life outside of work therefore is not a miserable sod and allows personal calls in work time and as we are a contractors we do serious hours which I’m more than happy to do because he’s so tidy to us all!
having said that I’ve enough respect for him that I wouldn’t take the pee on my phone all day or let any Tom dick or Harry drive his kit and that’s what seems to be lacking in @Fendt case the lad clearly has no respect
Lofty your a good driver you don't have to defend yourself to the pillocks on here, I seen on your contractors facebook page very professional run outfit
 
I have absolutely no problem with a quick call to a mate, along the lines of.... yes I know I’m meant to be out tonight at 8, I’m still at work, be there as soon as I can. When it is blatant gossip on the phone for hours each day to the point of not being able to phone him myself to say I need you to do x y z then it is a problem. To solve this he will be banned from bringing his own phone to work and will be provided with a crummy old Nokia 3310. Call history will Then be itemised and scrutinised. Having the radio on so loud you can’t hear the phone ring means he can’t be concentrating fully on what he’s doing, hence negligence, carelessness, whatever you want to call it.
when he lets a mate drive the tractor unauthorised then I consider that a major breach of health and safety and grounds for instant dismissal. He has signed a list of authorised machinery operatives for that exact reason. If I Do or don’t dismiss him that is my decision based on numerous other business reasons.
Any major damage caused to machinery by negligence is also grounds for instant dismissal and again needs considering in the broader picture.
if this behaviour continues after a formal disciplinary meeting then he won’t be employed for long. He also won’t get a good reference From me when he tries to go and work anywhere nearby.
As for posting this on social media... I’m asking for guidance from those who might have gone through this already. If that opens me to some sort of liability then that is my risk. I hope this is anonymous enough with no names mentioned so far...
So, my final thoughts.... when at work, behave as though you are at work, not on some sort of modern jolly. Just because you might be out there working alone for a long time doesn’t make it an extension of your private life. You are being paid to do a job to a satisfactory standard. If you can’t put your phone down for a few hours and behave appropriately then sign on the dole and prepare to live your life on the equivalent of a handout for the rest of your days. You won’t find many serious farming businesses who will stand for this sort of crap. It’s no wonder we have such a high fatality rate for such a small amount of the workforce if we’re prepared to let these sort of issues go unchallenged. I will not allow an employee to jeopardise the future of my business, no matter how desperate I might be for help.

None of us here are going to argue with any of that. Its the only logical perspective to have.
 

njneer

Member
There is another way...
these young bucks like the modern tackle , the bells and whistles , it’s great for their “pub talk” I drive Fendt / John Deere etc etc , have you any old tractors about the place??
might be worth buying one just to have for odd jobs.
A simple demotion to the old school machine and someone else parading about in “their” tractor won’t be long in denting the ego and making them think twice about their attitude and application.
Bit like the threat of the banger on top gear.
used to know a haulage contractor , ran top end Scania’s and Volvo’s all singing and dancing, who had a “ shunter” perfectly road legal but an Older basic wagon, any driver who flaunted rules or was caught “ off route” got punted onto that for a week of nights away wasn’t long bringing them back in line because everyone knew that if they were in that they had fu##ed up somehow.
 
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steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
There is another way...
these young bucks like the modern tackle , the bells and whistles , it’s great for their “pub talk” I drive Fendt / John Deere etc etc , have you any old tractors about the place??
might be worth buying one just to have for odd jobs.
A simple demotion to the old school machine and someone else parading about in “their” tractor won’t be long in denting the ego and making them think twice about their attitude and application.
Bit like the threat of the banger on top gear.
used to know a haulage contractor , ran top end Scania’s and Volvo’s all singing and dancing, who had a “ shunter” perfectly road legal but an Older basic wagon, any driver who flaunted rules or was caught “ off route” got punted onto that for a week of nights away wasn’t long bringing them back in line because everyone knew that if they were in that they had fu##ed up somehow.

Punishment tractor. Its why an old Case 1455XL hung around on so many big arable farms for so long....
 

Yonlass

Member
I will not allow an employee to jeopardise the future of my business, no matter how desperate I might be for help.
Well said.
There comes a point when an employee's bad points start out weighing the good, and you reach a decision that you'll have a less stressful life if they're just not there (even if it means working harder yourself)
Staff politics is probably the biggest strain on my mental health ☹ Covering planned absences, covering unplanned absences, hissy fits, tantrums, arriving with children in tow, breaking kit, partners ringing up/arriving, drug addiction, timekeeping, lazy/entitled, money problems and wanting to use you as a bank, falling asleep-we've had it all ??
If you're happier when it's their day off, then it's probably time to get rid.
 
Well said.
There comes a point when an employee's bad points start out weighing the good, and you reach a decision that you'll have a less stressful life if they're just not there (even if it means working harder yourself)
Staff politics is probably the biggest strain on my mental health ☹ Covering planned absences, covering unplanned absences, hissy fits, tantrums, arriving with children in tow, breaking kit, partners ringing up/arriving, drug addiction, timekeeping, lazy/entitled, money problems and wanting to use you as a bank, falling asleep-we've had it all ??
If you're happier when it's their day off, then it's probably time to get rid.

What is the policy of kids in tow?
 

Yonlass

Member
What is the policy of kids in tow?
Don't do it again, preferably.
Not on tractors, I hasten to add. Either stay in pit where can be seen, or send to bed calves.
Or babysitter brings theirs whilst I milk, and the house is a bigger tip than if the kids were left on their own ?
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
There is another way...
these young bucks like the modern tackle , the bells and whistles , it’s great for their “pub talk” I drive Fendt / John Deere etc etc , have you any old tractors about the place??
might be worth buying one just to have for odd jobs.
A simple demotion to the old school machine and someone else parading about in “their” tractor won’t be long in denting the ego and making them think twice about their attitude and application.
Bit like the threat of the banger on top gear.
used to know a haulage contractor , ran top end Scania’s and Volvo’s all singing and dancing, who had a “ shunter” perfectly road legal but an Older basic wagon, any driver who flaunted rules or was caught “ off route” got punted onto that for a week of nights away wasn’t long bringing them back in line because everyone knew that if they were in that they had fu##ed up somehow.
I know one farm near arbroath bought a fleet of John Deeres and one new Holland.

Apparently the new Holland was the equivalent of the naughty step!
 
in my youth II fitted a car radio into an open cab ford 5000, the old hands said how can you concentrate on the job with that noise (you could barely hear it with the engine running) going on.
Used to read books whilst ploughing its better then nodding of in a long field.
Saw nearly every ball of the 2005 ashes on a tv equipped dvd player whilst combining/working land.
How could I tell my employees not to use a mobile phone.
Tractor driving is a long boring job you need something to occupy the hours.
 

Lofty1984

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South wales
in my youth II fitted a car radio into an open cab ford 5000, the old hands said how can you concentrate on the job with that noise (you could barely hear it with the engine running) going on.
Used to read books whilst ploughing its better then nodding of in a long field.
Saw nearly every ball of the 2005 ashes on a tv equipped dvd player whilst combining/working land.
How could I tell my employees not to use a mobile phone.
Tractor driving is a long boring job you need something to occupy the hours.
My iPad is always with me day goes much quicker power harrowing for example if you can watch something, and when I say watch you don’t sit transfixed more glances
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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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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