Salary

Works the other way too "he can work all weekend because I don't have to pay him any more"
The Tuesday in December you went home at lunchtime is always remembered, the weeks of late finishes easily forgotten.
Bit cynical I know and it probably works on an arable farm with just combinable crops but somewhere you're busy most of the year i'm not sure I like it.

If the employer is only putting the guy on a salary so he can screw him then it will never work, and in fairness, if you try and treat people like that, in this industry today, they will soon work it out and bugger off, or be poached by someone less unscrupulous. Happens all the time.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Yep that sounds right and seems to be the thinking here but I know some dairy farmers were getting in trouble because over calving staff were working so many hours they were falling under minimum wage so had to receive a top up payment even though they didn't do many hours at other times.
Different in the UK I guess.

Ok - if that's the way NZ employment law works. Is there a limit as to the maximum hours worked or just the minimum rate per hour per week?
 

graham99

Member
Yep that sounds right and seems to be the thinking here but I know some dairy farmers were getting in trouble because over calving staff were working so many hours they were falling under minimum wage so had to receive a top up payment even though they didn't do many hours at other times.
Different in the UK I guess.
since employment contracts came in ,working in new zealand you have to a lawyer handy.
also in NZ if a contractor dose all his work on one farm he has to be classed as employee,and thats not just farming.
ird. in NZ are getting sick of dodgy tax deductions and people dodging holiday pay,working for familys tax breaks,and superannuation
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
not in new zealand.hours in pay period,eg. weekly.
there was even talk of contractors not being allowed to work for less than minimum wage.
In the regulations regarding sharemilkers, is there not something to that effect?
NZ is often held up by the partially informed in the uk as the beacon of free marketeers, but few of them realise the protections sharemilkers receive.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
Ok - if that's the way NZ employment law works. Is there a limit as to the maximum hours worked or just the minimum rate per hour per week?

Just the minimum wage I think, truck drivers are obviously limited to how many hours they can do.
I think here you can employ people on a 90 day trial and get rid of them without giving them a reason so employing someone just before a busy time on a salary then letting them go would appeal to some employers.
As far as I know there's no such thing as overtime in a lot of jobs, its just one rate with perhaps a contract for so many hours a week or fortnight.
Time and a half and an extra days holiday if working on a Bank holiday.
No such thing as a standard 40 hour week in my experience.
 

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
Mortgages are a shambles in my view, the lads who work for me can get a mortgage fairly easily, yet I can't get one as I'm to high risk being self employed! Doesn't matter that I'm paying staff that pay a mortgage!
If work dries up what do they think I will do? Lay off the men or stop paying my mortgage?
The credit crash really has made it impossible for the young entrepreneurs, I need at least a 50% deposit, 3 years making a good profit, 5 years of not making a loss, and then it can still be a no because it's high risk.
Even when offering land as security,
It's a joke
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
Who on here is salaried and how do you find it
Nick...

My brother was, as a gamekeeper/tractor driver but he found as time went on he was asked to do more and more hours and the early finishes when they were quiet were non existent. Switched to being paid hourly seems happier, just saves a bit more when they're busy for quieter, which is only a couple of months a year.
Mrs kp is on a salary as an agronomist, she likes it but has more control over her day.
My last job was a kind of salary but with an annualised hours contract.
Wasn't farming though.
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
My 2 main herdsmen went onto salaries a few years ago. Have to say that all parties are happy with the arrangement. We had a good look at the hours they were working when we changed. The salary is based on the total hours they worked in the previous year. I know that they don't go home until the work is finished and they will work late if needed, on the other hand if I see they have finished early it's not a problem. Both are very reliable and don't muck around with the system. We are Ayr calving so the work does not vary much. Also I don't get excited about holidays if they want an extra few days it's not a problem.

Bg
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Why was this?

more even cashflow for me. more consistency for employee and a much more motivated teams that have a get it done and positive attitude. Also makes admin / payroll real easy and the planned nature helps make sure that salary / BIK's etc are on the right side of various tax thresholds to help them keep as much in their pocket as possible

It is not something that would suit all, a certain level of maturity is needed from the employee, I think some would take the pee but as @Brisel points out regular review could soon sort that

We operate a discretionary bonus on top of salary, if I think they really are going above and beyond and can afford it we pay a bit more sometimes

Look after your staff and pay as much as you can afford vs what you can get away with, they ARE your business
 

DRC

Member
I'm on salary, better than having to count my hours etc, I do my work and go home when I'm finished, whatever time that is
I suppose it depends on what the salary is for the hours you do and level of responsibility . £25k would be rubbish, but £40k nice .
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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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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