Employing a young person

[Lewis]

Got approached last week by a young lad maybe 16/17 yrs old from the village looking for some work. Milking specifically but having robots told him unfortunately we dont have any milking jobs.
Thinking of approaching him with the offer of some general farm work instead.

What are the legalities around employing a teen ? Going rates for a days graft?

I think he’s in Ag collage or at least I know his older brother is/was so he’s not going to be totally green /new to farm work, but i certainly am regards being an employee.

Obviously approach the college if he’s in one but any other DO’s and DONT’s

Thanks

 

[nick...]

If you give the lad a chance,well done to you.we all have to start somewhere.pay a decent wage to encourage him too.allways sad to hear of people paying very little and giving youngsters all the sh!t jobs.
Nick...

 

[ladycrofter]

Excellent! Don't expect him to automatically know what to do. Young people need structure provided for them.

 

[upnortheast]

As a guide - Rate for 17 yo apprentice is £6.40an hour.

 

[Wooly]

Rules, rules, rules.......... but if he wants to work, give him a chance

Minimum wage https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Employing under 18's https://www.gov.uk/child-employment

Employing over 18's https://www.gov.uk/employment-contracts-and-conditions

 

[Bald Rick]

Stick his phone where the sun don’t shine if you want even a modicum of productivity
Our last 16 yr old trialist rang son 15 times in an hour despite being extensively briefed
And prior to that our last 17 yr old liked class A

One does try though

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Be prepared to receive an empty vessel.
Never assume anything.
Be kind and patient.
I loved the many and varied 15 through to 22 year olds that came to work either as school work experience or as older student help.
An example;
A cordless drill requires a drill bit in the chuck, you can’t assume the young person has even picked up such a tool so a basic step-by-step demonstration requires thought and application.
Parents who delivered this young person the following day apologised profusely and explained that as they were both Doctors there was nothing like the above drill in their house.
SS

 

[Chae1]

We'd a 15 year old farmers son start with us in summer holidays. He's a good lad and can do the work of a adult.

 

[DairyNerd]

I started out knowing nothing 14 years ago, was given a chance by a forward thinking and friendly family farm. I now milk my own cows and we are still very good friends. Pay enough money to encourage but be willing to teach, don't give all the rubbish jobs and most importantly try and show a varied workload.

 

[steveR]

Be prepared to receive an empty vessel.
Never assume anything.
Be kind and patient.
I loved the many and varied 15 through to 22 year olds that came to work either as school work experience or as older student help.
An example;
A cordless drill requires a drill bit in the chuck, you can’t assume the young person has even picked up such a tool so a basic step-by-step demonstration requires thought and application.
Parents who delivered this young person the following day apologised profusely and explained that as they were both Doctors there was nothing like the above drill in their house.
SS

Reminds me of a Uni graduate who came here, sharp as a tack, and wanted something new...

Never held a hammer I recall, and had to be shown so much, but learned really quickly.

Not sure where he ended up, but he was a far more rounded chap that left.

 

[Welderloon]

Engage with the lad, keen youngsters are becoming rarer than rocking horse poop.
4 or 6x week trial will confirm all you need to know about him. Disorganised, Poor time keeper, Phone obsessive, Mobile chemical test unit or an oxygen thieving space cadet will all be uncovered in that time.
Treat him as you would like to be treated yourself, set out some early expectations & have regular conversations/feedback with him regarding his progress & if he seems able then give him responsibility for tasks you know he'll excel at building his confidence all the time
If he's serious & you are serious then the college should be able to assist as much as they can.
All about building trust in each other, if there is a bit of 2x way respect earned & you can have a laugh at the same time you'll be on to a winner

 

[Exfarmer]

well done for considering taking on this young apprentice.
a few things from my varied experience.
Firstly lay out in writing a few round rules, they may seem obvious but to a totally fresh young lad out of school may not have entered their imagination.
The obvious , no drink, no drugs and no smoking, unless you allow the last , even then designate where it is definitely not allowed such as near inflammable materials.
Turn up on the given time, or before, never after.
No friends to accompany them without your direct permission.
Assume he knows nothing, he may think he does, but it is much more likely not.
A friend of mine, on his first day, was put on a major, shown all the oil, water, fuel etc. and taken to a field with a set of discs , go up and down this field , I will be back later to see how you are doing.
End of the day farmer returned to find he had gone up and down the same bout all day
Be extremely careful allowing him near powered equipment, emphasise all the safety rules, remember he is young and the young rarely have any idea of fear.
It is critically important that you mention hhis presence to your insurance.
Check his driving licence, even then satisfy your self he can drive a tractor and possibly find a light job in a field , harrowing rolling etc. to get him used to just handing a tractor.
Make sure your equipment is all up to scratch H&S wise.
If he is on a college course day release etc . I expect they will want to inspect you, but they will probably be a good source of info on the do's and don'ts

 

[powerontheland]

I have a young lad (18) that started with me this harvest, he is self employed, to be fair he has been pretty good. I have had enough confidence in him to let him mow hay as well as operate the baler. Don’t get me wrong, he can act a bit like a cabbage at times, but we were all young once!! I can leave the lad to his own devices and things get done, but not all are like that of course! My advice if you take this lad on is to speak to him as you would like to be spoken to, explain things in a calm and collected manner and dont lose your rag and eff and Jeff, as frustrating as it is sometimes. It makes for a much nicer working environment and the lad will learn far more. Mistakes WILL happen, but the only way to learn is by making mistakes

 

[slackjawedyokel]

A farming neighbour employs a young lad that’s taking an agri course at college. AFAIK it’s all going well- motivated lad, neighbour trying as much as possible to give him a variety of interesting jobs that are within his capabilities etc.

Then the guy comes round from college to assess the student… The ‘skills’ they are wanting to see demonstrated are just so demeaning for all concerned. Eg “Here is a slice of straw- let’s see you sprinkle it in a sheep pen”. WTF?

I wouldn’t expect a college student to know anything, but I suppose at least they may have some of the right bits of paper (quad test, handler etc).

 

[markbury1]

No don't give them a chance it's quicker to do it yourself and certainly your equipment will thank you. Let them stay in bed staring at their phones it's the only skill most of them will ever have.

 

[upnortheast]

A farming neighbour employs a young lad that’s taking an agri course at college. AFAIK it’s all going well- motivated lad, neighbour trying as much as possible to give him a variety of interesting jobs that are within his capabilities etc.

Then the guy comes round from college to assess the student… The ‘skills’ they are wanting to see demonstrated are just so demeaning for all concerned. Eg “Here is a slice of straw- let’s see you sprinkle it in a sheep pen”. WTF?

17 year old Grandson on apprentiship. Agree that the skills the tutors want to see are basic, guess the problem they have, the course has to cater for those with no experience. Bit frustrating for those who have been wearing wellies since they had nappies on. 8 in the local group,they do go to different farms to do practical things. so good for broadening experience.

Some of his mates go to the foundation course at a college. Away 4 days / week paying silly money for accommodation. Often twiddling their thumbs when no lecturer available so I`m told.
So think grandson gets more from his route, 2 years ,then off to do a college course, though he is keen to work in aus or NZ
Guess we are lucky to have a keen, capable youth.

 

[Optimus]

Fair play for the young lad coming to ask for a job an you for thinking of giving them a chance.
Be prepared to explain everything to them, take the phone off them an give a cheap pay as you go with no internet on it. You'll soon find out after a few weeks if they've got it or not.

 

[Stewie]

The place where I do casual driving took on a pair of 16-17 year old pretty much full time for this year harvest. They were already known as last year they did some odd days.
One did a couple of weeks of combine driving without much trouble, the other trailer work (only in the field) then ploughing and power harrowing. All in all they did well for their age. Of course they need everything setup for them and supervision.
I think the best is to keep the work varied enough....after 3 long days even driving the combine or the big tractor stops being fun and that is when they realise why you are getting paid to do it
Be prepare for the long face when they get the old tractor and to see your machines on their Instagram stories all the time.

 

[essexpete]

I have 2 friends that have taken on young folk, in both case the young person had approached the business owner. One has watched over the garden defence for years, as it were, the other had limited experience on another local farm. It says something if the young person asks if there is a possibility of a job and they show initiative from the word go.
Everyone has got to start somewhere, some of us have been lucky, growing up with practical tasks.

 

[puppet]

I have a neighbours lad just 13 wanting some work. Helped a few things and not scared of dirty hands. I am supposed to get permission from the school and max 5 hours daily and none on Sunday.
He also wants to start a flock of sheep but can get some experience here first.