Providing housing options for dairy farm employees at Larson Acres has taken the turnover rate from an already low 7% all the way down to less than 1%.
On Episode 28 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, the dairy’s general manager Sandy Larson shares what she has learned about finding and managing housing for nearly half of the dairy’s 75 employees … and how that has led to a line out the front door of the dairy with a waiting list of people who want to work there.
Prior to 2019, Larson Acres did not offer housing for farm employees in the rural area of Evansville, Wisconsin. However, more employees were asking for housing options or citing that as a reason for choosing a different employer. Though the turnover rate was quite low, Larson could see that this piece of the employee management puzzle just might hold the key to tightening up turnover.
“That was the one thing that I thought I could change that would help the culture and keep our employees wanting to be at Larson Acres every day,” she says.
Larson was right. Now, three years later and with about half their team members living in housing provided by the farm, she sees the benefits in employee retention and engagement.
“Our turnover rate has dropped from 7% to under 1%,” she says. “We have a waiting list of people that want to work here because we’re taking care of the employees.”
Adding housing manager to her list of responsibilities has proven to be a worthwhile addition, and Larson has learned several lessons along the way.
Here are a few best management practices from Larson Acres:
Finding available housing: Larson’s housing options include houses and mobile homes owned by the farm, as well as rentals of which the farm owns the leases. Developing relationships with local landlords has helped her to be on the short list when openings are available.
Seasonal needs: During summer months, air conditioning units are placed in the homes. Before winter weather hits, Larson drops off salt, and a snow shovel. Plowing is done by the farm on owned properties or by the rental company at leased properties.
Provisions: Larson equips each home with the basics for cooking and living, including kitchen sets, pots and pans and couches. “We fill it with things that somebody can walk into and have a home that’s ready to be lived in,” Larson says. She pays for the wireless internet packages and works that cost into the monthly rental rate.
Bedding and towel package: Each employee receives a package that includes an air mattress, sheets and pillow, and bathroom towel set upon move in. The estimated cost of the package is about $125, and the employee pays for that and owns those items.
Grouping: Larson houses family members together if married, and for single employees, she tries to keep people who work the same shifts together. For privacy, each bedroom door has a keypad lock.
Rental contract: Larson has created a one-page contract that outlines expectations for employees living in provided housing. It prohibits smoking, pets, making holes in the walls, terms for departure and other basic rental contract stipulations.
Signage: In each home, emergency contact phone numbers are posted along with cleaning schedules. Larson references the National FARM program for checklists.
Check-in’s: To ensure accountability for upkeep and cleaning, Larson’s goal is to visit the homes for check in around payroll time each month.
At the end of the day, providing housing for employees is all about taking care of people and an expression of the core values that Larson and the team at Larson Acres live by: Quality, pride and family.
That culture pulls all the way through to performance.
“The culture at the farm, the cow care, the somatic cell count, the milk production … it’s all clicking … and it’s all tied in together with a good working environment and a good home,” she adds.
For more on labor, read:
- 11 Ways to Practice Random Acts of Kindness on the Farm
- How One California Dairy Went 9 Years without a No-Show Employee
- 3 Tips to Make Hard Conversations with Employees Easier
