Shepherds pay?

[CopperBeech]

And there was me thinking that the working week was 38 hrs and folk are saying 6 days a week....Overtime bill will be a bugger. Only an idiot would be salaried and a self indentured slave. It doesn't matter how many hours the boss/owner works an employee is protected and a true eejit if he/she signs those protections away unless he/she is certain the remuneration is really worth it.

There is however a difference between being an employee and a contractor. If you’re on salary and I turn up to where you’re doing a yard job and you’re on the phone, having a yarn with old Dave who lives next door or popped down the chippy to grab some Lunch I’m not too bothered. If you’re a contractor I’m paying by the hour I’m likely to be much more bothered !

 

[unlacedgecko]

Yes

My only advice is make sure you get someone who's interested in and believes in your system.

My interest is breeding low input wool shedding maternal ewes. I once took a permanent contract where the system was lambing cull ewes to terminals. I hated it and was very bad at it. I wasn't there long.

 

[Longlowdog]

I was making a distinction between a salaried employee and a wage earning employee not a contractor.

 

[CopperBeech]

The key words the are *starting salary*. Her career progression and potential future earnings are very much better than those of a shepherd on 99% of UK farms.

True but I’ve met a fair few shepherds abs the list is very short of those who have progressed past the starting salary point despite what they may think. There is only so good you can get at sticking leccy fence posts in the ground. I’ve jar numerous folk work for me abs I’ve found one so far i would Say wouldn’t miss something or rather I would leave to look after my stock while I was there and I wouldn’t come back and be able to make a list of misses and screw ups when I got back. And yea he’s on here

 

[Roger Perry]

You wouldn’t want to pay the phone bill for shepherds in this country. All that posting pictures/videos on social media uses a lot of data.

Just basic phones I guess.
These are hair sheep so no shearing, lamb year round.

 

[CopperBeech]

I was making a distinction between a salaried employee and a wage earning employee not a contractor.

Same applies. If I’m paying you by the hour you better get up to speed quick.

 

[Longlowdog]

Both systems gonna cost you the same if you want someone up to speed. Only a total ret4rd will not be able to do the maths and figure out if the salary for 50 hours over 6 days is less than overtime for 12 hours at time and a half on top of weekly wage. Add in 10% working with a grumpy barsteward premium into the negotiations and a shepherd is gonna get expensive real soon.

 

[unlacedgecko]

AHDB figures say top 1/3 of flocks have 2hrs labour per ewe. 700 ewes is 1400hrs. At £15/hr that's £21,000.

30mins per store lamb, that's £18,750.

So the sheep enterprise total labour budget, including house, holiday cover, etc is £39,750.

 

[CopperBeech]

Simplest and easiest way to make it fair is find someone who is good and efficient, and pay then a decent hourly wage for the time they are there. No house. That way someone on £15 an hour can make their 40k a year and you know what you are getting and you also know not to draw jobs out.

 

[CopperBeech]

AHDB figures say top 1/3 of flocks have 2hrs labour per ewe. 700 ewes is 1400hrs. At £15/hr that's £21,000.

30mins per store lamb, that's £18,750.

So the sheep enterprise total labour budget, including house, holiday cover, etc is £39,750.

Thts fair. I thought these 40k figures were with a house I work it out tht you are looking at about 50 hours a week at £15 an hour. So £750 a week, about 40k a year if they are flat out all year. Add a house at £1000 a month or more plus bills abs it starts to get a bit silly!

 

[unlacedgecko]

Thts fair. I thought these 40k figures were with a house I work it out tht you are looking at about 50 hours a week at £15 an hour. So £750 a week, about 40k a year if they are flat out all year. Add a house at £1000 a month or more plus bills abs it starts to get a bit silly!

They may well be? Fück knows. IDGAF.

The one thing I do know, I'll never be an employed shepherd in the UK.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

£30k plus a vehicle and phone which must be worth another £5k. All dog food and vet expenses provided. Extra payment for shearing and of course as PAYE holiday pay, sick pay and pension. House in this area would be worth at least another £12k and probably £18k now.

Better job being a shepherd than the flock owner!!

 

[neilo]

AHDB figures say top 1/3 of flocks have 2hrs labour per ewe. 700 ewes is 1400hrs. At £15/hr that's £21,000.

30mins per store lamb, that's £18,750.

So the sheep enterprise total labour budget, including house, holiday cover, etc is £39,750.

That AHDB labour figure will include the extra labour needed to lamb 700 Suffolk Mules inside too, not just the ‘shepherd’.

 

[unlacedgecko]

That AHDB labour figure will include the extra labour needed to lamb 700 Suffolk Mules inside too, not just the ‘shepherd’.

Yes I know.
That's why I said total labour budget for the enterprise, not the shepherd's package

 

[Estate fencing.]

AHDB figures say top 1/3 of flocks have 2hrs labour per ewe. 700 ewes is 1400hrs. At £15/hr that's £21,000.

30mins per store lamb, that's £18,750.

So the sheep enterprise total labour budget, including house, holiday cover, etc is £39,750.

I wasn't far off when I said 30K with a house then.

 

[Longlowdog]

Then add employee insurance, pension payments, someone to write up your risk assessment, sickness cover, paternity leave and the list goes on and on.

 

[SteveHants]

Let’s put this in perspective a little bit. Granted there are some absolute hero’s on here but is a shepherd really worth 40k a year ? See plenty of lads and lasses - 20s-30s, little bit of experience, but not much, and they are wanting that kind of money plus a house and a truck pull the other one

My Mrs is a copper - anti social hours, stressful, at times dangerous.... 25k a year starting salary, no house. And matey wants 40k a year for looking at some sheep, bit of electric fencing and some yard work on occasion. My heart, it bleeds ......

I agree entirely, but my conclusion is the opposite of yours - your Mrs should be paid more, not the shepherd paid less.

 

[hally]

Since when did anyone take AHDB figures seriously……they take a very loose average as there is so many variables so take it with a pinch of salt.
( brother worked for them for many years)

 

[lloyd]

£100,000 a year plus car,house ,private health care and pension .
Go big or go home.

 

[Frodo]

£100,000 a year plus car,house ,private health care and pension .
Go big or go home.

That’s fine, but you have to come up with a business plan to justify it, and be willing to implement it.