Attention all Farmers and Vege Growers! Now that we are at Covid-19 Level 2, and we’re getting to the start a new season, many of you may be looking at employing short-term or seasonal staff. Although this may seem simple enough, all the paper-pushers have put in rules around hiring short-term or seasonal staff, which has created more work for Farmers and Vege Growers – trust us (the paper-pushers), you do not want to be dealing with the paperwork once the trouble starts. So, what do you need to do? Just make sure your paperwork is in order before your seasonal workers start work. And guess what? We can help you make sure that happens.
The she’ll be rightattitude that was adopted by many Kiwis is now getting us into trouble as employment law keeps changing. When hiring temporary or seasonal workers, most of the pitfalls we see are due to a lack of a written employment agreements. These written agreements are compulsory, even when hiring staff for a short term. And these agreements need to include clauses such as the length of employment; any conditions that the agreement may be subject to (i.e. work visa); specific start and end dates; and reasons why the job is only for a fixed term. Getting the paperwork wrong can cost you a pretty penny in legal fees or compensation to employees!
The last thing you want is the be in the swing of the season and have a fixed-term worker raise a personal grievance, or claim that they are permanent employees, all because your employment agreements were not up to scratch. Avoid getting yourself into this situation and call us! We can review and update existing employment agreements to ensure you’ll be right this season. Call us today on 09 235 0440.