jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
if you are travelling to go see them by vehicle then you should be rewarded in some way
is it a works vehicle
Should I get paid to check stock at night?
- Thread starter NaeSure
- Start date
is it a works vehicle
Tractor, but sometimes my car if I'm going away straight after.
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
who is closest you or the boss
Probably about the same depending which fields
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
tell him you are getting earache from the missus and that you would like to share night checking duties that way you both get to see the stock and both get some social time
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
i went out just after ten tonight checked the calvers pushed all the silage up and scouted around for wildlife 
nothing hurting so going to bed
nothing hurting so going to bed It was mentioned but I didn't think it was a big deal at the time. I still don't really... I'm not saying I'm unhappy in my job or anything, the reason I asked others on here was to see if I was right to expect some reward for it. The guy before me didn't, but there's no way for me to know if he added an hour two overtime in somewhere else.
I'm paid hourly.
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Sorry I thought you meant they were in a field by your house. I'd want them closer to home if they were calving.
Its the hourly pay that'd make my mind up , you should be paid for it imo, even if it is not overtime and just regular pay , if salaried then it would be different.
brynseiri
Member
- Location
- Conwy, North Wales
He should give you I reckon £100 a week for that, adds up to a couple of hours. How long have you been going along with this? If you have done it more than six months, and are cards in, you're fecked, as it becomes part of your contract. No need to get riled up, just tell him whilst in work you are committed to it, but you have a life outside work that has nothing to do with him.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
So let me get this straight. Your boss gets to have free evenings, can go out, stay in, have guests round, do whatever at a moments notice etc etc, all safe in the knowledge you are taking responsibility for the cattle calving? While you are tied to the house for 4 months of the year and are spending multiple hours a week outside your normal hours of employment dealing with these cattle? If that's the case he's taking the p*** and you're actively participating in him doing so.
At the very least all the extra hours 'on call' should be translated into extra holiday entitlement, or paid for. If you own livestock you either take 24/7 responsibility yourself, or you pay for someone to take it off you. You don't (or shouldn't) expect someone to do it for free for the 'love of the job'.
At the very least all the extra hours 'on call' should be translated into extra holiday entitlement, or paid for. If you own livestock you either take 24/7 responsibility yourself, or you pay for someone to take it off you. You don't (or shouldn't) expect someone to do it for free for the 'love of the job'.
Darren
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Sounds like my job
J B
Member
- Location
- Shrops/Staffs/Cheshire borders
When I was farming a few years back, we used to pay 2 hours a week for basic 'looking up' plus extra time if something extra cropped up.
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Turn the situation around. If your the stockman they are "your cows" and you can at least share the responsibility. Farming is a vocation not just a living. Be clear on what evenings you're not available, they are someone else's ultimate responsibility
Just do it and be grateful that the boss isn't buying a few more bits of kit to replace you. Then don't apologise for taking time off in lieu for shows, family events etc. Why not ask if you can bed and board a heifer of your own, AI her and build up a few cattle yourself?
Just do it and be grateful that the boss isn't buying a few more bits of kit to replace you. Then don't apologise for taking time off in lieu for shows, family events etc. Why not ask if you can bed and board a heifer of your own, AI her and build up a few cattle yourself?
Farmer Dod
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
If it was mentioned before you started then that is slightly different. Do you have a tied house? if so then there has maybe always been a presumption by your boss that the occupant does these duties. There has to be give and take in any relationship however and if he's encouraging you to show commitment and look around the beasts in your own time (even though you enjoy it) then perhaps turn it on it's head and ask to go courses etc, SAC open days etc to "further develop your interest" on his time. After all it's his business that would ultimately benefit.
Been in your situation whereby the boss expects you to do things "for the firm". Can be very good bosses - I couldn't get into hall of residence before I started as a student so he picked up the phone, let rip to some jobsworth and two days later a letter arrived - as if by magic a place had been found.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I wouldn't push the subject to much, not a fortune in cows and if it all becomes a pain in the chuff for the farmer he might wave good bye to you and the cows, a lot of farmers already have done so.
aye but on the the other hand there is a shortage of mugs to work fer fermers,go and drive a digger and be quids in.
septimus
Member
- Location
- Kingdom of Fife
Back in the day when we had a cattleman he was expected to put in extra hours during calving time and do the cattle 2 weekends out of 3 as it was all part of his job. If however he was carting grain or doing some other work not connected to the cattle he got overtime for hours worked. Like other have said a bit of give and take. On the plus side in the summer when the cattle were all at grass he was often away home in the afternoon.
Someone employed as a tractorman would have expected to get paid if they fed the cattle on a Sat morning as it wasn't really in there job description.
Someone employed as a tractorman would have expected to get paid if they fed the cattle on a Sat morning as it wasn't really in there job description.
When I say boss, he's actually the farm manager. I do get most of the time away that I ask for so I have no complaints there. I get one or two perks but the same as the other members of staff who don't have to do the same unpaid work as me. I am also in a tied house, but again so are other staff.