Poaching staff, fair or not?

[Daniel]

A local pig/poultry farmer we sell a few stack of eggs to to help him balance his egg round supply has 'poached' our student worker. The lad has done 2 years at college and was hoping he'd go full time this autumn. Unfortunately the customer of ours had been chatting to him whilst collecting eggs and offering him a job.

A couple of years back we had a similar scenario, had a student employee for a while, as soon as he passed his driving test a local bid farm offered him £12 an hour as a tractor jockey and he was gone, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, so not so bothered about that one!

Is this just fair game, just business etc? Are we the mugs for giving part time ag students a job until they're half useful? Or should other farms have a bit of respect?

I'm wondering whether to let this customer of ours go short of eggs for a few weeks....

 

[tje]

Have you offered the student/worker a job this autumn ??

 

[Daniel]

Yes, he chose the other option, I'm not complaining just canvassing opinion, personally I'd feel uncomfortable unsettling and poaching staff from other farms that I knew. It's not like there was a job advertisement etc, he was offering him a job whilst on our property!

The student decided he'd rather work on an outdoor pig unit than a mixed arable/pig/poultry farm, that's his funeral!

We beat their initial pay offer so whether they matched or raised it I don't know. The problem is the student is good as the farmer well knows from his weekly chats with him whilst collecting eggs....

 

[Jim75]

Poor crack, let him stew and dry his eggs up for a while

 

[roscoe erf]

let it go what goes around comes around your student is a free agent unless you have him under a watertight contract don't stew on this just breathe and move on ,failing that go and let his tyres down one night

 

[tje]

Yeah , let it go ...he may find the grass isn't greener and ask about the job you offered ...

 

[Flossie]

let it go what goes around comes around your student is a free agent unless you have him under a watertight contract don't stew on this just breathe and move on ,failing that go and let his tyres down one night

Agree with roscoe-it's annoying but the lad has a mind of his own. People talk-the other farmer may just have said "there's a job at our place if you're ever looking" and it went from there

 

[Daniel]

We shall see! An amicable deal has been agreed whereby he stays here till the end of September then moves on, whereas by rights he could leave tomorrow so we've no complaints, and yet the method leaves a sour taste.

 

[d williams]

A local pig/poultry farmer we sell a few stack of eggs to to help him balance his egg round supply has 'poached' our student worker. The lad has done 2 years at college and was hoping he'd go full time this autumn. Unfortunately the customer of ours had been chatting to him whilst collecting eggs and offering him a job.

A couple of years back we had a similar scenario, had a student employee for a while, as soon as he passed his driving test a local bid farm offered him £12 an hour as a tractor jockey and he was gone, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, so not so bothered about that one!

Is this just fair game, just business etc? Are we the mugs for giving part time ag students a job until they're half useful? Or should other farms have a bit of respect?

I'm wondering whether to let this customer of ours go short of eggs for a few weeks....

Would have thought the farmer should have had a quiet word with you first to see what your plans for the lad was
Some very selfish people out there perhaps there could have been a job share to suit both parties
His eggs would be 15% dearer if he'd done that to me if I'd supply him

 

[SRRC]

You should take pride in having brought the lad to a point where somebody wants to employ him at good money. Let him go with good grace and he will always be a friend to you and your business, you will get a good reputation and will find you have no bother attracting more decent lads.

 

[Exfarmer]

+1

 

[Stewie]

This is common practise in many other industries, often involving a small firm supplying services to larger companies that periodically "steal" the (good) staff from the other. A good etiquette is the key to avoid leaving a sour taste in these cases.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I was once told the only way you will get a decent worker is a lad from school or nick one

 

[Farfrae]

A couple of years back we had a similar scenario, had a student employee for a while, as soon as he passed his driving test a local bid farm offered him £12 an hour as a tractor jockey and he was gone, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, so not so bothered about that one!
...

Surely you just answered your own question?

If you were happy to see the poor one poached, why should this event be seen differently?

 

[caveman]

Have a word with the other man and just point out it is poor form in your opinion. (As it is. Else you wouldn't be on here with it).
No need for unpleasentness, but, if he takes umbridge, tell him you don't need his business.

 

[grumpy]

no one has tried to poach me

 

[Great In Grass]

no one has tried to poach me

I'd like to boil you sometimes.

 

[caveman]

I'd like to boil you sometimes.

Some bits are boil in the bag.
The rest is for spit roasting.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

I think that I might know where he is going.
Be careful to part on good terms, you never know, he might end up coming back.
Most decent youngsters will want to try something else and it is credit to you that he is staying in agriculture.

 

[Daniel]

It's ok, the irritation has more or less passed, one of those things. We seem to have come to an arrangement whereby the lad stays with us until the end of September, by which time we'll hopefully have sorted a replacement, so all are more or less happy.

Future casual egg customers will be vetted more closely for ulterior motives!