Staff shortage.

[Daniel]

I have a chance of a fella on work experience 3 days a week for 2 years, college said to pay him nothing but I couldn't do that. Only problem is I have work from now til Christmas and not much January and February. How much is reasonable to give him?

We've just took on an apprentice he'll be doing a day a week at Otley, he's 17, think the official rate was something like £2.30 which is ridiculous! He'll get around £5/hr for a few weeks to see how he goes then up it from there if he's worth it.

 

[Gulli]

We just do 7.30 - 5.30 we will do less in winter. We normally have a good laugh.

If you weren't fencing I would bite your arm off for that. Unfortunately I fecking hate fencing
There's a fair few decent workers about, problem is there's a lot more rubbish, stick at it, you will find a good one eventually

 

[hindmaist]

Anywhere from £8-£12 depending on your age an experience. 60 hours a week fencing 6 days a week from match till August apart from silage time then harvest work and harvest hours till November then back to 60 hours a week hedgecutting and fencing. Time off when you want it as we are flexible.
The last man was on £9 at the age of 17, good hand, good with customers but would rather work at home with his dad an brother on £150 a month, 80 acre of cereals and 20 sheep. Hardly gonna make a living.

I wouldn't want to work 60 hours + a week!year round, for someone else.

 

[H.M.]

my site work doesn't pay that sort of money !

very lucky to find something that does!

 

[S J H]

its simple, we don't pay enough and as a result there are more attractive options out there

why should someone work for you when he can earn more doing less hours elsewhere ?

if the job isn't attractive no wonder its hard to get good staff and keep them

buy the best kit you can afford
pay as much as you can afford
don't ask anyone to do a job you wouldn't do yourself
involve staff in decisions and empower them to make them
don't be greedy

Make your business more profitable (yes it is possible if your prepared to change) and you can afford more, good staff will make you more profitable so its worth the "investment"

If you pay them too much, they think they're a millionaire and go on the beer for a week.

 

[Clive]

I think your being rather harsh there Clive, we pay the going rate in the area and run decent tackle that's well looked after.
I'm mearly pointing out there isn't many available men round here

I'm not picking on you. What I mean is as an industry we don't pay enough vs other options, I'm sure there are plenty of men around you they can just earn better elsewhere in better conditions and fewer hours

Who can blame them

 

[S J H]

I've just had a lad finish up working, he was 15, one if the best I've had for a long time. He's had to go back to school no though What a waste

 

[Clive]

If you pay them too much, they think they're a millionaire and go on the beer for a week.

I don't think it's my place to control the behaviour of others in their own time by rationing their income !

 

[yorkie]

I think your being rather harsh there Clive, we pay the going rate in the area and run decent tackle that's well looked after.
I'm mearly pointing out there isn't many available men round here

as some one from same area but other side of fence,i moved away 35 years ago as not many jobs in area,nearest icould find was York or bishop burton so why not go further,at time was loads of farmers sons of age to work at home,worked for a contractor at time,started in april was a full time job as long as come august I could cut hedges,doubled amount we had to cut in first year,when we decided to get married,best offer was a caravan no extra wage,was for 20 year old in the days of no mobil phone able to sort his self out with repairs and diesel,untill then I thought I was well thought of,would just like to say have had the goal posts moved when taking jobs to starting,not just wider apart in the next field,not having a dig no people same as you who have been left in the sh!t

 

[borderterribles]

People are idiots! Had a young man take care of my goat herd for a week, I explained and showed him everything IN GREAT DETAIL. he ended up killing two of my best breeders, needless to say I agree good farm works aren't a dime a dozen

Hi there MBP, welcome to the forum, if you are sixteen, how old was the young man in question? Eight???

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

If you pay them too much, they think they're a millionaire and go on the beer for a week.

think this is one of the trains of thought in the farming industry, along with the train of thought that they should be great full that I am offering them a job, is why there is a shortage of new workers in to the industry, and are far better looked after elsewhere

 

[S J H]

think this is one of the trains of thought in the farming industry, along with the train of thought that they should be great full that I am offering them a job, is why there is a shortage of new workers in to the industry, and are far better looked after elsewhere

Just saying, that's my experience both times with students. I pay them a lot more than what they'd be on elsewhere.

I should have added, that this is for work which is not strictly agricultural, so I think it's an issue in most industries.

 

[yorkie]

would just like to say I get decent wage and don't drink

 

[Spud]

As a farmer in @ARW s area, and one of his customers, I concurr with his thoughts. He does run good kit, looked after, and is more than fair with staff.
Of late there has been mention in the farming press of work ethic (and the lack of) in staff been vital, and IMO it is definitely so. I am lucky to now have a very good team, but not long ago we had similar difficulties. I had fake references, fake driving licences, bare faced liars, hopelessly unreliable clowns that took the Michael wholesale, and hooligans with kit that caused me some upset customers.
It's certainly made me appreciate my current team!
The 60hrs bit is flexible, as he says, but perfectly normal, and not antisocial. You want a Saturday off? No problem. Need to be done by dinner time next Tuesday because its your kids school play? No problem. Keen for £25k a year take home with no risk, no outlay and no chasing bad payers? Job satisfaction and a pride in a good job well recognised? Then get your arse out of bed and bloody work!

All these 'high paying alternatives' arnt all sunshine and roses, it has to be said. How many construction firms lay staff off when work dries up? Have staff living in crummy digs on site miles from home for a few weeks at a time? Lots.
There's a lot to be said for enjoying work and nice surroundings.

Spud

 

[S J H]

would just like to say I get decent wage and don't drink

You must have a mortgage then?

 

[ARW]

Does a decent man want 60 hours a week of hedging and fencing? If they're decent they'll find an easier way to make a living.

Nothing wrong with having ambition!
I worked for a fencing contractor before I started myself and we only averaged 30-35 hours a week, it was no good I wanted to move out and earn money and work for it.

 

[S J H]

Nothing wrong with having ambition!
I worked for a fencing contractor before I started myself and we only averaged 30-35 hours a week, it was no good I wanted to move out and earn money and work for it.

If there any good, they shouldn't work for the money, enjoying the job should be there first priority.

 

[ARW]

I get the impression that alot of fellow forum members wouldn't come and work 60 hours a week for me.
Well if you had rent on small house trying to feed a family and run a car you would all want a job for the money.

 

[Dukes Fit]

I've said this before but the wages in Agriculture are a joke and haven't moved with the times. I appreciate it's dictated by the industry as a whole and for that reason alone it's going to be hard to find a good man willing to work for a (relatively)low wage. One of our tractor men was an ex John Deere mechanic, time served from when he left school. He worked on the farm because he enjoyed it. There are plenty of people who are very skilled in multiple disciplines and could earn plenty more in other types of work.
In what other job can one man be a machine operator, mechanic, fabricator, welder, vet, builder and general dogsbody and still get paid barely enough to live in without having to work overtime?
I appreciate that some youngsters (can't believe I just said that) seem to want to dictate but I've also had the goal posts moved on me when I was young. Went all the way down to the south of England to drive a combine for Velcourt and when I got there I was told I'd be driving a corn cart and he'd given the combine job to the lad who'd been there the year before and had asked for a job. Mind you that was the least if my worries as I got treated like sh!t.
Point is, no matter someones age, they have a right to be treated as an adult and not as some minion who is lucky to have a job. There are plenty of jobs out there for those willing to work and the good ones will go find them

 

[Baling Hay]

I get the impression that alot of fellow forum members wouldn't come and work 60 hours a week for me.
Well if you had rent on small house trying to feed a family and run a car you would all want a job for the money.

If you seen me trying to fence you wouldn't want me coming to work for you!!

Although I can leave quite a tidy hedge............but then my neck starts to ache up after 2 days at that.