Wages

Ivorbiggun

Member
Location
Norfolk
that’s easy then go flip burgers or stack tins in tesco
don’t moan about it go do some thing else
I got out of at Christmas, now driving a loading shovel in our local quarry for £15/£22.50 an hour 6 till 6 Monday to Friday and Saturdays till midday. Home by 10 past 6 every night and 10 past 12 Saturdays. So much more relaxed atmosphere at work and I know I have Saturday afternoon and Sundays off. Home/worklife balance improved immensely. For the first time in 20 years when someone rings up saying their having a bbq in the middle of august I’ll be able to say yes we’ll be there. Can’t wait.
 

CollieFarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Update! I had a talk with my father and long story short were are going to see the CA in a few weeks, dads going to see about giving me some of his shares/ % of profits and a salary that covers the cost of living. I think he was actually waiting for me to come to him about it.
This has been festering inside for a while now and I feel instantly relieved knowing my family will be ok at least for the new future.
Thanks to everyone that took the time to share their opinion and push me to have the conversation, this really is a wonderful forum. Your a great bunch! 👍
 

Pennine Ploughing

Member
Mixed Farmer
Update! I had a talk with my father and long story short were are going to see the CA in a few weeks, dads going to see about giving me some of his shares/ % of profits and a salary that covers the cost of living. I think he was actually waiting for me to come to him about it.
This has been festering inside for a while now and I feel instantly relieved knowing my family will be ok at least for the new future.
Thanks to everyone that took the time to share their opinion and push me to have the conversation, this really is a wonderful forum. Your a great bunch! 👍
I am really pleased for you, I know this is not sorted out yet, but a really good positive response from your father is a big step in the right direction for everyone concerned.
Good luck
 

Nearly

Member
Location
North of York
Someone commented on here a few years ago that when it comes to a shareout 'a fair sharout isn't always equal an equal isn't always fair.'

Mention this little phrase to parents if you can, just to make them think?

You need you contribution to the business to be logged as significant.

Family shareouts and fallouts are often as much to do with the various siblings' spouses as the siblings themselves.

Good luck.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
Update! I had a talk with my father and long story short were are going to see the CA in a few weeks, dads going to see about giving me some of his shares/ % of profits and a salary that covers the cost of living. I think he was actually waiting for me to come to him about it.
This has been festering inside for a while now and I feel instantly relieved knowing my family will be ok at least for the new future.
Thanks to everyone that took the time to share their opinion and push me to have the conversation, this really is a wonderful forum. Your a great bunch! 👍
Who owns the farm now? Your grandad?
I think your situation gets worse with each post I read. You're 33 and it sounds like your dad hasn't got his hands on the place yet. When will you see it?
The way I see it it doesn't matter that your siblings have good career's, you could/can have one too. When the time comes, they'll probably need sorting.
You're being paid for your work so you'll have a hard time saying you were working for nothing in the hope of getting the farm one day.
The whole family including grandad, your siblings and your wife need to meet and sort things properly in my opinion.
 

farenheit

Member
Location
Midlands
He's an employee getting a tenner an hour and accommodation. So what if he's doing half of the work. Would you give a non family employee half the farm?
His dad probably inherited the farm . In most cases the dad is withholding an asset he probably worked no harder to inherit himself. In fact, more often the grandad died by the time the father was about 25 and has had most of his life to enjoy being in charge, while the current generation waits until they are 60 to be able to make a decision or draw some personal profit .

Edit: The dad may not pay himself £10/ hour most years for the work he puts in, but there's so much value in having agency in your business, and the freedom to do what you want and make your decision (including to sell up or borrow against the farm).
 
Last edited:

CollieFarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Who owns the farm now? Your grandad?
I think your situation gets worse with each post I read. You're 33 and it sounds like your dad hasn't got his hands on the place yet. When will you see it?
The way I see it it doesn't matter that your siblings have good career's, you could/can have one too. When the time comes, they'll probably need sorting.
You're being paid for your work so you'll have a hard time saying you were working for nothing in the hope of getting the farm one day.
The whole family including grandad, your siblings and your wife need to meet and sort things properly in my opinion.
I wasn't sure before but turns out Grandad is completely out of the farm now.
All I really wanted was a pay rise so I'm more than happy with this outcome. Iam in no hurry to take the farm away from dad, the longer he sticks around the better 👍
 

Kipper

New Member
Ten of us work on a big farm in the East of England. The main drivers are responsible for spraying, spreading, drilling, planting harvesting million pound crops and having to make daily decision on if to spray, spread, drill, plant and harvest. Also we do all the servicing and repairs on all of the tractors and machines that are not under warranty along with estate maintenance.
We get just over £10 an hour, some have a house on the farm, some have a truck, some don't get a house or a truck.
We have asked for more money but told not is available.
We work over 3000 hours a year doing what ever is asked of us, we don't really get the training for the jobs we do.
The feeling on the farm is very low , we have good staff and good friends, I don't think think the skilled staff can carry on like this much longer.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
@Brisel is up your way an I would have thought would be well placed to have a view.
Thanks for the tag. Other than the rental equivalent of the accommodation, there is little difference in the cost of living and wage levels from what little I have seen of different regions. The only other distorting factor locally in any area is competing employers in other industries, and that is only for hiring new employees. The OP needs to have a conversation with their employer about a fair package, and be prepared to leave if the outcome is unsatisfactory. An Internet forum might inspire the beginning of that process, but be wary of some of the claims made in here.

Supply and demand dictate pay. Remember that most people in other careers are funding their own accommodation costs from post-tax income.
 
Location
southwest
Ten of us work on a big farm in the East of England. The main drivers are responsible for spraying, spreading, drilling, planting harvesting million pound crops and having to make daily decision on if to spray, spread, drill, plant and harvest. Also we do all the servicing and repairs on all of the tractors and machines that are not under warranty along with estate maintenance.
We get just over £10 an hour, some have a house on the farm, some have a truck, some don't get a house or a truck.
We have asked for more money but told not is available.
We work over 3000 hours a year doing what ever is asked of us, we don't really get the training for the jobs we do.
The feeling on the farm is very low , we have good staff and good friends, I don't think think the skilled staff can carry on like this much longer.

If you're not happy, leave.

As has been said to disgruntled staff before.

"There's the front gate, no one drags you through it in the morning!
 
Ten of us work on a big farm in the East of England. The main drivers are responsible for spraying, spreading, drilling, planting harvesting million pound crops and having to make daily decision on if to spray, spread, drill, plant and harvest. Also we do all the servicing and repairs on all of the tractors and machines that are not under warranty along with estate maintenance.
We get just over £10 an hour, some have a house on the farm, some have a truck, some don't get a house or a truck.
We have asked for more money but told not is available.
We work over 3000 hours a year doing what ever is asked of us, we don't really get the training for the jobs we do.
The feeling on the farm is very low , we have good staff and good friends, I don't think think the skilled staff can carry on like this much longer.
Why you feeling low ,
what you complaining about ,like between the lines ,said ,hand your notice in then , and go do some thing else
 
Someone commented on here a few years ago that when it comes to a shareout 'a fair sharout isn't always equal an equal isn't always fair.'

Mention this little phrase to parents if you can, just to make them think?

You need you contribution to the business to be logged as significant.

Family shareouts and fallouts are often as much to do with the various siblings' spouses as the siblings themselves.

Good luck.

 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
If you're not happy, leave.

As has been said to disgruntled staff before.

"There's the front gate, no one drags you through it in the morning!
Why you feeling low ,
what you complaining about ,like between the lines ,said ,hand your notice in then , and go do some thing else
It sounds like they will be gone, there's probably a fair turnover of staff.
It was a good post though, from an employee (lets assume its real) who actually works on a farm and knows what the rates are.
A bit different from some of the numbers given by some on here.

Its not compulsory to be a farm worker, which is why so many get out.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
I wasn't sure before but turns out Grandad is completely out of the farm now.
All I really wanted was a pay rise so I'm more than happy with this outcome. Iam in no hurry to take the farm away from dad, the longer he sticks around the better 👍
Its good that its all your dads, I'm sure he's earned it.
However you're an employee receiving a wage and accommodation for your work. That doesn't entitle you to the farm once dads gone, your siblings have a right to their share.
That was my only point, better to sort it as soon as possible. Have a search for similar threads on here, there are lots of stories from people in their 40's and 50's that thought everything was fine, right up to the point it wasn't.
Just trying to give you a heads up.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 81 42.2%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 68 35.4%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.6%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

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

    Votes: 7 3.6%

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

  • 1,294
  • 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/
Top