Where do others recruit Seasonal (Mainly harvest) Staff to fill tractor driving jobs

[FBain4532]

Looking at recruiting a couple of a people for this upcoming harvest, have used facebook and 4xtrahands in the past feel I struggle to find the type of staff I want, Have advertised the jobs at at the 3 main Scottish colleges and have received one reply. Where do ours advertise harvest jobs, or is there a recruitment agencies to take some of the hassle out of it??

 

[kiwi pom]

You be a bit late now for this harvest I'd say. All the good ones will be sorted for a job.

 

[FBain4532]

Yes and no, go too early and they never turn up to start the job.

 

[ILovebaling]

Just saw a advert on Facebook today from a average sized arable farm. Experienced man wanted from July till October.

Surely the problem is anyone decent will already have work booked in or even a full time position somewhere? Really doesn't seem very attractive work to me.

 

[kfpben]

I am on College lists for work experience. Always good to have students at 16 for some lambing work before having them back later for some machinery work if they are suitable.
I have had temp staff from the local ag college, yfc & vet students.
Current summer help whips in at the local hunt in the season and wanted some summer work as no shows/events on. Young lad but bloody good so far. Great work ethic.

 

[Andrew]

Just saw a advert on Facebook today from a average sized arable farm. Experienced man wanted from July till October.

Surely the problem is anyone decent will already have work booked in or even a full time position somewhere? Really doesn't seem very attractive work to me.

They may all ready be booked in somewhere but that doesn’t seem to matter anymore, people seem quite happy to go somewhere else at the last minute for the right colour tractor or an extra 10p / hr. Has happened many times around here, once even by text 30 minutes before they’re due to start work on their first day.

 

[Mc115reed]

Looking at recruiting a couple of a people for this upcoming harvest, have used facebook and 4xtrahands in the past feel I struggle to find the type of staff I want, Have advertised the jobs at at the 3 main Scottish colleges and have received one reply. Where do ours advertise harvest jobs, or is there a recruitment agencies to take some of the hassle out of it??

Sorry but the type of staff you want probably doesn’t exist that’s why you struggle... there few and far between now and the ones that do exist generally are full time somewhere...

All that’s available for 4 months of the year and on £8hr is a 17 year old lad waiting for college too start, grassmen sticker in the window, shades on, tunes blasting, 5 cans of red bull and 40 fags a day too help him keep it lit Surreyyyy ...

 

[Brisel]

I use the local free press. About £70/advert. Always had replies & usually found a half decent one from that. I'm pleased to have 2 returning from previous years & 1 by word of mouth.

 

[Formatted]

There is a chap on the forum who's name I forget that uses retired truck drivers, he has 4-5 of them and finds that they careful with machinery, always turn up on time and cost £10p/h but he does say that he has to have a few of them on a shift as they don't want to work 16 hours a day for 4 months.

 

[GeorgeC1]

There is a chap on the forum who's name I forget that uses retired truck drivers, he has 4-5 of them and finds that they careful with machinery, always turn up on time and cost £10p/h but he does say that he has to have a few of them on a shift as they don't want to work 16 hours a day for 4 months.

That's fair, plus isn't 16hr days illegal?

 

[Brisel]

That's fair, plus isn't 16hr days illegal?

Not if you opt out of the Working Time Directive

 

[Formatted]

That's fair, plus isn't 16hr days illegal?

I don't believe there are driving time limits for tractors

 

[Ivorbiggun]

I don't believe there are driving time limits for tractors

Given most farms work their blokes 16 or 17 hour days with little or no breaks during harvest, and have no regard for vehicle weights etc etc. I don’t think they would abide by any laws anyway.

 

[kiwi pom]

There is a chap on the forum who's name I forget that uses retired truck drivers, he has 4-5 of them and finds that they careful with machinery, always turn up on time and cost £10p/h but he does say that he has to have a few of them on a shift as they don't want to work 16 hours a day for 4 months.

Seems a sensible way of doing it if you can get the people. Two shifts means its easier to run 24 hours if the weather lets you and day shift can start early and get all the basic maintenance out of the way. Plus in theory less accidents due to being tired and less rush to finish something, to rush home, to get 5 hours sleep before starting again.
Farmers and contractors seem perfectly happy spending hundreds of thousands on a machine, then skimp on ten quid an hour labour to keep it running efficiently.
The older I get the less I understand that approach.

 

[Highland Mule]

That's fair, plus isn't 16hr days illegal?

yes

Not if you opt out of the Working Time Directive

Nope - you can opt out of the weekly limit, but not the daily one.

I don't believe there are driving time limits for tractors

simple work limits apply - you must have an 11 hour break in every 24. I’m not aware of any derogation for Agri to that one.

Rest breaks at work

Workers' rights to rest breaks at work - length of breaks, how your age affects rest breaks, exceptions to the rules for shift workers, young people, and drivers

www.gov.uk

 

[Andrew]

Why anyone wants there staff to work 16hr days every day is beyond me. As tiredness increases accidents and errors increase, and bang goes your kit and the profit.

 

[Ivorbiggun]

Why anyone wants there staff to work 16hr days every day is beyond me. As tiredness increases accidents and errors increase, and bang goes your kit and the profit.

It’s all down to greed, having too many acres than you can cope with sensibly.
several times during the year here we work from 7am till midnight, harvest, drilling etc.
And we aren’t the worse by a long way around here, I know of several farms as I’m sure we all do that will combine till 2 or 3 in the morning and still expect the staff back in early to get things ready to start cutting again by 9.
Any h&s laws go straight out of the window, several farms round here are also using tri axle grain trailers going 40 ton on the road.
Farmers think they are a special case and it’s harvest time so it doesn’t apply to them.

 

[Chae1]

Why anyone wants there staff to work 16hr days every day is beyond me. As tiredness increases accidents and errors increase, and bang goes your kit and the profit.

What hours do you do with balers, chasers at harvest?

 

[Andrew]

What hours do you do with balers, chasers at harvest?

We start at 8am, and tend to be back in the yard at 10pm, 11 at the very latest if we’re a long way away.

 

[casemx 270]

Why not put an ad on here ? But if the position is filled or no.longer applies be careful to remove it asap or be warned ?