Good experience or just cheap labour?

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
Why that didn't even cross my mind worries me. Is there much chance a 14 year old would be welcomed to help with that?

One of my weekend milkers started helping out when she was 14. She's now 17 and has learnt loads. Quite capable of doing a whole milking on her own,paid appropriately. Have another lad who comes in as and when he likes, he normally gets a good Christmas present.

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Jon.S

Member
Location
Mid Wales
keep quiet, get your referance and find somewhere else. You have an amount of experience now which will open more doors.

Might be worth mentioning to your tutor once you have your reference so no one else has to put up with it.

The person in question is obviously a git and getting cheap labour but to not even offer a drink is bloody awful and surely is common decency.
 

AJR75

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
That's not right or fair. I've been caught recently on what was supposed to be a reciprocal arrangement with sheep keep, it started with helping gather and grade a few lambs and gradually, the "can you just requests" became more and more frequent to being expected to help with every sheep task going plus use of all my kit and dogs, it even extended to driving silage trailers as well. The offer of keep was begrudgingly offered but would only ever be the areas that they weren't happy to put their own stock due to foot paths (they've had plenty of dogs worrying sheep) or fields covered in ragwort. When I sat down and applied a conservative value to what was going on, it became very clear that not only was it the most expensive grass keep going but also the one with the most hassle. A lesson learnt the hard way but also invaluable experience in how some people operate and one which will never be repeated!

Sadly there are people about like that who will take advantage, but as has been said not everyone is like that. You've got good experience now in the work that you were doing but also a lesson in recognising that you've been taken advantage of so you'll know in the future if it looks likely to be happening again! Best of luck in your future.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
One of the best places to learn,had a 9 year old come and help one night,he was a star and loved it.
9 and 14 first thing I would worry about employing someone that age is having insurance and health and safety for them spot on, there are lots of things you can't let them do, limited hours for a start if I remember righty, we looked in to it years ago as a very keen lad wanted to come and help, in the end it just wasn't worth it which was a shame.
99 times out of 100 it will be fine nothing will go wrong but I wouldn't want to be the employer if it did
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
9 and 14 first thing I would worry about employing someone that age is having insurance and health and safety for them spot on, there are lots of things you can't let them do, limited hours for a start if I remember righty, we looked in to it years ago as a very keen lad wanted to come and help, in the end it just wasn't worth it which was a shame.
99 times out of 100 it will be fine nothing will go wrong but I wouldn't want to be the employer if it did
A lot depends on the parents' attitude I think. If they're the type to sue your arse if anything happened then it's a no go. If they're decent hard working people who appreciate you giving their son or daughter a chance to learn and gain experience then it's nice to be able to help.

We have a lad who helped with lambing this year and last who's now 14. Really good lad who's not afraid of getting his hands dirty. We treated him like one of the family as regards food, drink and rest and would always take him home safely at the end of the day. We didn't 'pay' him but gave him a nice Easter present at the end.
 
Im really sad to here this I am on my second student (just a saturday) and even though over 16 I wouldnt dream of not paying them. For a 12hr day I would think it would be polite to pass over £20 min for all the help. For shearing a flask and bottle of water. If I was really busy I would just offer cake. Sometimes I run to the chip shop. All depends but I would want anyone working here to leave feeling appreciated especially for the hours and lets face it pretty low wages.

I like the idea of a youngster but too risky, I have visions of something happening, the press and H&S would be all over it. I think if they were working next to you it would be fine but not to complete tasks alone.
 

Tom147

Member
Location
North Suffolk
That's not right or fair. I've been caught recently on what was supposed to be a reciprocal arrangement with sheep keep, it started with helping gather and grade a few lambs and gradually, the "can you just requests" became more and more frequent to being expected to help with every sheep task going plus use of all my kit and dogs, it even extended to driving silage trailers as well. The offer of keep was begrudgingly offered but would only ever be the areas that they weren't happy to put their own stock due to foot paths (they've had plenty of dogs worrying sheep) or fields covered in ragwort. When I sat down and applied a conservative value to what was going on, it became very clear that not only was it the most expensive grass keep going but also the one with the most hassle. A lesson learnt the hard way but also invaluable experience in how some people operate and one which will never be repeated!

Sadly there are people about like that who will take advantage, but as has been said not everyone is like that. You've got good experience now in the work that you were doing but also a lesson in recognising that you've been taken advantage of so you'll know in the future if it looks likely to be happening again! Best of luck in your future.

Yeah, I felt at first like I was being greedy but as a lot of other people have said the people on their farms are payed or given food and drink. Got a lot of the task I wasn't there to do either after lambing, did 6 or 7 hours of odd jobs I didn't get told I would do. Hopefully I can find a decent farm elsewhere.
 

Joe S

Member
Location
Orkney
Well I started working at the farm I'm at on a Saturdays and though the holidays just after I turned 14, I had a good bit of experience but non of proper paid work and I was getting 5 quid a hour and have learnt a hell of a lot in my time there so far. Come end of July I will have been there 2 years, will be turning 16 early July this year and got a pay rise just after charismas this year!
So if I way you I wouldn't be a happy camper and would be on the search for somewhere else!!! Good luck(y) Don't be put off because of one tight bugger, need more young folk(y)
 

Joe S

Member
Location
Orkney
Yeah, They were saying about the way they could pay me about a month ago without getting called up on the hours I worked, also a lot of what I did couldn't be written down on my DofE report.
That's a clever excuse(n)Your boss sounds a c**t! If he actually wanted to pay you and put it though the book he would find a way!!
 

RedMerle

Member
Have you finished your number of hours volunteering for your D of E?

I don't think you're supposed to get paid for it. Isn't it meant to be some sort of activity that benefits the community or something? I certainly never got paid for any of mine.

Not withstanding that however I would go pick a different activity for your D of E and then if you want part time work try get some. You'd be better off doing delivering milk on the local milk round than free labour at shearing.

Nothing begrudges me more than someone getting stitched up for free labour when someone else is being paid. It's happened to me at Lambing
 

Tom147

Member
Location
North Suffolk
Have you finished your number of hours volunteering for your D of E?

I don't think you're supposed to get paid for it. Isn't it meant to be some sort of activity that benefits the community or something? I certainly never got paid for any of mine.

Not withstanding that however I would go pick a different activity for your D of E and then if you want part time work try get some. You'd be better off doing delivering milk on the local milk round than free labour at shearing.

Nothing begrudges me more than someone getting stitched up for free labour when someone else is being paid. It's happened to me at Lambing

Oh yeah, I finished my D of E volunteering, which was lambing no drama. I didn't expect to get paid for that. However they then mentioned about coming back for shearing to earn a bit of money. Then when I didn't get paid for last weekend I realised that I was working the past couple of weekends for free too.

I probably should have cleared up that earlier sorry
 
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RedMerle

Member
I wouldn't go back to that farm then. That's disgraceful that they've paid everyone else and not you.

At the very least they could have sorted you soup and a roll for your dinner (and that I would only expect if it were voluntary)
 

___\0/___

Member
Location
SW Scotland
Oh yeah, I finished my D of E volunteering, which was lambing no drama. I didn't expect to get payed for that. However they then mentioned about coming back for shearing to earn a bit of money. Then when I didn't get payed for last weekend I realised that I was working the past couple of weekends for free too.

I probably should have cleared up that earlier sorry

If they said you will get paid you probably will. I have did up to five weeks work and got paid when the job was finished, three weekends isn't much.
 

Tom147

Member
Location
North Suffolk
If they said you will get paid you probably will. I have did up to five weeks work and got paid when the job was finished, three weekends isn't much.

Because people turn up as and when they can they are paid at the end of the week. Everyone else has received part or all of their payment for that week/weekend
 

Bloders

Member
Location
Ruabon
volunteering is one thing. You could say if you wanted paying you should have said. YOu have now gained enough experience through volunteering to get paid.
So move one, and get paid to do what you obviously enjoy. It is a shame, the farmer should not have taken advantage BUT look at what you have learned.
sometimes it is difficult to be accepted by a gang, especially so if you have not been included in the breaks and the "banter" (i mean included, not the subject of the banter) when you ventually become in such a position as the farmer (ie, some form of manager who directs how organisations go) you will remember this experience and not subject 14 year old volunteers to such a crap experience.
in 20 years time, you will look back on this and realise what you have learnt. HOWEVER, that does not mean people should take advantage of you. the fact you have done the volunteering, and joined this forum to raise the issue is commendable. take heart in it and dont lose heart
 

ajcc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Maybe you should remind the boss that he'd said there was money to be earned at shearing.....what happened to it? Could be he just wants you to show your mettle ands ask?...same with food, if you had said pass the sandwiches boss I don't expect he would have said "there's none for you, shut up and keep sweeping that wool up!
I know it takes a bit of nerve but you got to ask or communicate to make your opinion known. It's about self confidence, speak your mind and 9 times out of 10 you'll likely be pleasantly surprised at result.
 

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