Shortage of good staff

le bon paysan

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Limousin, France
At least those that want to work in the UK can. I think many young people here would love to swap places with those in the UK if that were possible.

Here there is almost no work available for a young person and when they get a job the national insurance and tax is considerably higher than in the UK.

For most there is simply almost no work here except self employment in agriculture or forestry or for the lucky few getting into the civil service. The rest leave, leaving behind a rapidly ageing population.
Oh... and when they're paying high tax and contributions here they can still afford a place of their own, how much of these wonderful wages in the uk will they have left at a thousand pounds a month or more rent?
 
Lockdown and furlough has made the whole thing worse. People loved sitting on their arse getting paid for it
I don't think it's always a case of them wanting to sit on their arse, I think it's the freedom do what they want, when they want, along with having a less disciplined lifestyle.

I know a guy who took a month between jobs to unwind and do some work on his smallholding, and he said that the freedom to just do what you want was so liberating that getting back to a work routine became a more daunting thought than he ever realised it would be.
He used the example of the freedom to go to the sheep markets being something he'd miss when he went back to his job.

So I guess that someone who hasn't worked for a longer period will be used to getting up when they want, eat when the want, go where they want and go to bed when they want will find that freedom difficult to let go of.

Of course some people are just lazy ba$ťåŕđš plain and simple 😁
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
Materials prices jumping every week ,now white deisel in the builders machinery ,all the other price hykes,,nobody has got anything to spend on building work now ,,just living is costing too much.
Had two jobs cancelled yesterday ,,customers couldn't afford it.
I've been at home all week, nothing to do
There's certainly a slowdown coming, despite the many claims on here that other businesses just pass on the costs and carry on, its simply not true.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
We currently have a good job going here but can't seem to find anyone suitable or people just let you down and don't answer their phone .Is this other people's experience
Post the hourly rate, hours, and job description on here, then we can see if its the job or are people just lazy.
OK....I give up......70 million on this small island......what are they all doing ?:unsure:
I think its a case of people wanting to do their own thing and not live their life around other peoples requirements.
I don't think there's many full time employees on TFF so perhaps this is a good place to ask why people aren't out earning all this easy money, especially as farming is so bad?
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
I don't think it's always a case of them wanting to sit on their arse, I think it's the freedom do what they want, when they want, along with having a less disciplined lifestyle.

I know a guy who took a month between jobs to unwind and do some work on his smallholding, and he said that the freedom to just do what you want was so liberating that getting back to a work routine became a more daunting thought than he ever realised it would be.
He used the example of the freedom to go to the sheep markets being something he'd miss when he went back to his job.

So I guess that someone who hasn't worked for a longer period will be used to getting up when they want, eat when the want, go where they want and go to bed when they want will find that freedom difficult to let go of.

Of course some people are just lazy ba$ťåŕđš plain and simple 😁
100% this (y)
Covid has forced a lot of change on a lot of people, its understandable that many will have had their outlook on life changed and have realised you don't always have to tear round like a headless chicken, we're only here once.
We do fine with one of us working fulltime (currently Mrs KP) and the other staying home looking after the kids and the house and generally trying to make life as easy as possible for the one working. I do bits and pieces as they come up as long as they can be worked around the kids.
No mortgage, no debt and some savings. If you work out what going to work costs in terms of transport, child care (no other family in the area) and generally doing things less efficiently at home because you're just too busy, it doesn't stack up.


Plus I'm fecking lazy and don't particularly want a fulltime job, I'd rather spend time with the kids and cart them round to all their sports etc.
Once they're done with school I can work until I'm knackered.
Of course if the right job comes up or I need to go back to work I will.
 

Nenuphar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Ireland
Post the hourly rate, hours, and job description on here, then we can see if its the job or are people just lazy.

I think its a case of people wanting to do their own thing and not live their life around other peoples requirements.
I don't think there's many full time employees on TFF so perhaps this is a good place to ask why people aren't out earning all this easy money, especially as farming is so bad?
This is a fact, no one is going to work for peanuts anymore. You can get regular work on demand now that is predictable and defined.
I work in industry and we have to pay well to secure skilled workers, I always have had a preference for people with a farming background as they know how to work and have no qualms paying them. Farmers are competing with conglomerates now, they are the real bogeyman.

Bear in mind I'm a farmer myself and started working a waged job at 14, some people could do with taking a long drive and smelling the flowers
 

Hfd Cattle

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Hereford
What's the breakdown of.that?

Can a family of 5 live on 1700 a month?
Got the figures of the local newspaper website which produced a table of the 'benefit increases' that were coming jn as from the 1st April.
...plus we have tenants living on 'benefits' and they aren't living too badly !!
 

nxy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Oh... and when they're paying high tax and contributions here they can still afford a place of their own, how much of these wonderful wages in the uk will they have left at a thousand pounds a month or more rent?

I could have worded my post better. I do actually agree with you about the quality of life and house prices here, a little goes a lot further when houses are cheap. Its a great place to live just a harder place to forge a career.

Those that find work locally can do well but many young don't find work here. Local unemployment is currently about 20% in the under 25s and would be even higher if so many young did not leave the area to find work.

What is most staggering about that figure is what a small part of the population is under 25 the average age in much of the local area is now hovering around 60 because so many of the young have left.
 

czechmate

Member
Mixed Farmer
At least those that want to work in the UK can. I think many young people here would love to swap places with those in the UK if that were possible.

Here there is almost no work available for a young person and when they get a job the national insurance and tax is considerably higher than in the UK.

For most there is simply almost no work here except self employment in agriculture or forestry or for the lucky few getting into the civil service. The rest leave, leaving behind a rapidly ageing population.


I find this post incomprehensible Andrew🤔.
Anyone who is any use and wants to work can fill their days ten times over. Speak to any builder around us and they are booked up for three years. Anyone who starts up mechanicing is instantly fully booked.
My main worry, getting older here, is how I will get stuff done once I can’t do it all myself 😕
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
Always amazed to see an industry, based mostly on tax free inherited wealth, hooked on benefits (SFP, Grants etc) demonising single mothers etc whilst ignoring the billionaires who are hoovering up obscene quantities of cash from the work of others, avoiding tax and squirreling it away in offshore accounts.

Don't be bringing that logic here. Farmers feed the world and are the backbone of the country.

You'll be suggesting farms are run as businesses next...
 

nxy

Member
Mixed Farmer
I find this post incomprehensible Andrew🤔.
Anyone who is any use and wants to work can fill their days ten times over. Speak to any builder around us and they are booked up for three years. Anyone who starts up mechanicing is instantly fully booked.
My main worry, getting older here, is how I will get stuff done once I can’t do it all myself 😕
I agree about the lack of builders etc. It's not logical when so many are on the dole, though I have noticed many successful tradesmen never seem to be that keen on making the leap to grow their business taking on staff etc. Not saying they are right or wrong just an observation.

Taking this discussion back to the UK as mentioned above so much of the rural employment problem comes back to a lack of affordable rural housing, its a shame that planning laws don't permit farmers to build houses for workers. If the OP's job came with a house I suspect he might have less of a problem.
 

40 series

Member
I agree about the lack of builders etc. It's not logical when so many are on the dole, though I have noticed many successful tradesmen never seem to be that keen on making the leap to grow their business taking on staff etc. Not saying they are right or wrong just an observation.

Taking this discussion back to the UK as mentioned above so much of the rural employment problem comes back to a lack of affordable rural housing, its a shame that planning laws don't permit farmers to build houses for workers. If the OP's job came with a house I suspect he might have less of a problem.
Taking on staff. That’s probably the reason those tradesmen don’t want to take the leap. They then become too big to be small businesses and to small to justify the extra administration and managing required and the profit percentage slides the wrong way
 

Lofty1984

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South wales
Taking on staff. That’s probably the reason those tradesmen don’t want to take the leap. They then become too big to be small businesses and to small to justify the extra administration and managing required and the profit percentage slides the wrong way
And if you think farming is bad for idiots try employing in the building game
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
I agree about the lack of builders etc. It's not logical when so many are on the dole, though I have noticed many successful tradesmen never seem to be that keen on making the leap to grow their business taking on staff etc. Not saying they are right or wrong just an observation.

Taking this discussion back to the UK as mentioned above so much of the rural employment problem comes back to a lack of affordable rural housing, its a shame that planning laws don't permit farmers to build houses for workers. If the OP's job came with a house I suspect he might have less of a problem.
I can understand it, employing staff a nightmare nowadays with all the red tape.
 

Hilly

Member
A family of 5 gets around 1700 a month just on benefits if they play the system!!
....no too much incentive to go out to work 😣😣
My mates wife works for this department , if they tick the right boxes a family of four can in Scotland cost the tax payer 50k year , they dont tell folk about everything that can be claimed but certain folk know ! On council estates they have go to people who know how to screw the system for small fee they fill forms in word them right and tick all the boxes, she tells me all about it its unbelievable. Got council lads up with me at moment resurfacing a said to them a bit of a bodge job resurfacing but not fixing ditches or cundys , hes reply was no money the whole lot goes on socail ! Every dealing i have ever had with council ….. no money all goes on socail ….. how the expense will be curtailed in future i have no idea its crippling the uk .
 

le bon paysan

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Limousin, France
I could have worded my post better. I do actually agree with you about the quality of life and house prices here, a little goes a lot further when houses are cheap. Its a great place to live just a harder place to forge a career.

Those that find work locally can do well but many young don't find work here. Local unemployment is currently about 20% in the under 25s and would be even higher if so many young did not leave the area to find work.

What is most staggering about that figure is what a small part of the population is under 25 the average age in much of the local area is now hovering around 60 because so many of the young have left.
Agree and agreed with most of your first post, but I think it describes rural towns in a lot of country's. What would Bellac be comparable with? Banbury maybe, without the affluence? Or Welsh border towns? Look at rural America.
I know my kids like the ease of jumping on metros , buses, trains and having cinemas, restaurants etc right outside. Even Limoges is bright lights, big city compared to here.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.2%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.3%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
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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