What to do šŸ¤¦ā€ā™‚ļø So tight they squeak

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
A somewhat unkind post. We don't really know the exact details of the man's role nor how many hours he does etc, so what he is paid (plus the expenses and the like in his package) isn't really the complete story but there is no rule book that says 'a farm manager must earn X' is there?
Re read my post! Look at the detail. A manager that sees the farm management accounts needs to be on more that high 30k. Yes there is no rule book. But if you are on a public forum questioning your bosses willingness to spend, then you should be willing to be aware of your worth. Do you not agree
Regarding hours, he said in the opening post he is working 7 days a week!
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Scrapyard Challenge farming is one of the most miserable things out there.
I understand not being too lavish on things but making your workers use broken (which nearly always means dangerous) stuff is pants and really shows how much regard the "boss" his for his staff and his farm. I hate it and won't have it.
You will always get it on farms as it seems to be the mentality of farmers, as shown by all the folk saying they straighten staples. For Ā£30 you can buy a lot more staples than you can straighten in a day. A day where you pay the staple straightener probably 3 times that. It's the same as the silly buggers spending the first hours of every day trying to start the tractors that have knackered batteries. Three days of that and you would pay for a new battery for less money.
I vote leave because you won't change them. Or stay and refuse to use or allow the use of any dangerous kit.

Well put, I know someone like that who struggles around a small setup, awash with money, but won't spend to make life easier at his age. Stupidity IMV.
 

toquark

Member
OP says his employer pays well, doesn't mind paying taxes and that he (the OP) "does everything except the Bank transfers" but complains that "the chequebook" is kept by the boss?

Surely the farm has credit accounts with local businesses, if the quad needs new tyres why not get it done and argue the toss when the bills come in? Or does the OP not have the authority to do so?
Similarly with medicines, I presume the boss doesn't stand over you while you do every injection?

To me, some things aren't adding up.
The owner may not stand over everything that is done the place but it soon becomes pretty wearing and demoralising when every bill is questioned and quibbled. Iā€™ve been there, having your professional integrity and decision making constantly challenged every time you buy a bucket of staples or a replacement light lens is a nightmare.
 

digger64

Member
The owner may not stand over everything that is done the place but it soon becomes pretty wearing and demoralising when every bill is questioned and quibbled. Iā€™ve been there, having your professional integrity and decision making constantly challenged every time you buy a bucket of staples or a replacement light lens is a nightmare.
this is why many join anglia farmers !
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Put things into perspective.
what do you want from a job
More money
More say in how things are done
Less hours
Profit share

If you want the last three. You will never get it by the sound of things. If you want the first. Have a talk with him behind closed doors and re negotiate. If however you want a better work life balance? Then reconsider livestock
 

puntabrava

Member
Location
Wiltshire
I have never come on a forum to ask advice before about something so delicate.
My employer is so tight it is painful to be around.
When I took the job as a Manager it was said ā€œthere is money to spend and the willingness to spend itā€
The idea was that the farm would be modernised and brought up to scratch.
The owner is lovely but to give you an example- quad bike tires completely bald on all 4 wheels and there are 3 quads. He wants to just replace them on one bike and not use the others much. They all have over 30k on them and are used for everything.
Farm makes a good profit but everything is falling apart. Fences are knackered, cows are scrimped on in winter and things like vaccinations are given at a slightly lower rate to get an extra couple out of the bottle.
The issue I have is we are all working 7 days a week making do with worn out tools, tractors that have no working lights and what for? Staff suffer poor conditions because owner wants to invest profits in other things outside of farming. He is a fairly wealthy man who owns a lot of land and is generous outside of the farm but I am struggling to keep staff as everything is worn out. In fact Iā€™m struggling to keep myself motivated as when I ask what the budget is for reinvestment I never get a reply.
do I just accept that if I stay this is how it will alway be or do I try and change his mentality.
I have shovelled and brushed my way so far but without any investment I can only do so much.
Iā€™m not knocking him Iā€™m just confused as to what to do
How old is the owner, did the job come via a 3k advert and involve an agent?
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
You will always get it on farms as it seems to be the mentality of farmers, as shown by all the folk saying they straighten staples. For Ā£30 you can buy a lot more staples than you can straighten in a day.

I always thought the reason you collect staples is to ensure they don't end up in the livestock's feet, and if you are collecting them for that purpose you might as well re-use them? Personally if I'm taking an old fence down I don't want to leave all the old staples on the ground where they could create a big vets bill, so as many as possible go into a bucket.

Parsimony is a curious condition, up to a certain point its advantageous, beyond that point it rapidly becomes counter productive. The trick is determining where that point lays for your individual business. It'll be different for everyone, one man bands may have a better return from cash spent that saves them some of their limited time, while a business that is paying employees all year round may be able to profitably utilise the quieter times of year in make do and mend activities.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
And surely as farm manager it is your responsibility to make all equipment pass a H+S test as your neck could be on the line as ā€˜farm managerā€™. :unsure:

You are right. Unfortunately the cheque book has never left the owners house

I think you've skipped past Yale's post a bit quick. As manager I'd say your head is on the block for everything. If something isn't safe and you ignore it because you don't want a lecture from the boss and a staff member gets hurt, guess who they'll come after.
The boss will then say he told you to buy what you needed.
As manager its your job to ensure the farm is safe for you and the other staff to work in. If the quads have knackered tires, the quads stay parked, the staff should know this too.
If he wants you to walk round stock and straighten staples, that's fair enough, but the farm has to be fit for people to do their work safely.
What about employee contracts are you responsible for them?
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
I think you've skipped past Yale's post a bit quick. As manager I'd say your head is on the block for everything. If something isn't safe and you ignore it because you don't want a lecture from the boss and a staff member gets hurt, guess who they'll come after.
The boss will then say he told you to buy what you needed.
As manager its your job to ensure the farm is safe for you and the other staff to work in. If the quads have knackered tires, the quads stay parked, the staff should know this too.
If he wants you to walk round stock and straighten staples, that's fair enough, but the farm has to be fit for people to do their work safely.
What about employee contracts are you responsible for them?
It happens.

 

Shoudawouldacoulda

Member
Livestock Farmer
Put things into perspective.
what do you want from a job
More money
More say in how things are done
Less hours
Profit share

If you want the last three. You will never get it by the sound of things. If you want the first. Have a talk with him behind closed doors and re negotiate. If however you want a better work life balance? Then reconsider livestock
You make good points. I donā€™t want or need any more money, I donā€™t need
some do this and plead poverty as a habit - makes them look stupid but its how they were brought up wether it originates with parents from the 1930s ?
In short they dont value labour or time and consider borrowing money as reckless .
Its also an old fashioned way of reinforcing authority /status , could you get him to think what you need was his idea by leaving a trail of blindingly obvious clues ?
i have tried that and I end up just having to order what I need and having to have the chat. Iā€™m sure if I was better at putting my foot down about spending it would be better. I just donā€™t want the fight every time. I donā€™t want to have to explain why itā€™s better to buy some things than make them and not have them for weeks until the time can be found.
I also donā€™t like the idea that I am letting my standards slip
 

digger64

Member
You make good points. I donā€™t want or need any more money, I donā€™t need

i have tried that and I end up just having to order what I need and having to have the chat. Iā€™m sure if I was better at putting my foot down about spending it would be better. I just donā€™t want the fight every time. I donā€™t want to have to explain why itā€™s better to buy some things than make them and not have them for weeks until the time can be found.
I also donā€™t like the idea that I am letting my standards slip
how did the previous manager cope ?
 

Bojangles

Member
Location
Scotland
You are going to probably have to leave.
if owner is 60/70 and has always farmed in this way then you will never change him. I expect his mrs has probably had the same problem in the house as you are on the farm and if he hasnā€™t changed yet itā€™s a lost cause. Farming is hard enough with good gear so crap kit is just so demoralising and will wear you down to the point that you flip or you just give in and work with it for the next 10 years.
You need to ask yourself this, what are you getting there that you wouldnā€™t get elsewhere but with decent equipment. I expect not much.
Good luck
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% Iā€™ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

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

  • 1,293
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: ā€œRed Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in Aprilā€œ

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top