Dairy Labor News
From local grocery shops to nearby warehouses to the neighboring farm, help wanted signs are literally everywhere you turn. The growing issue of labor shortages has many dairy farmers asking, “Where can I find help?”
Your goal should be to have your new hire leave their first days feeling great about their choice to work for you. There is a lot you can do to make it a success.
Once a dairy takes on employees, it is inevitable that at some point they will have to discipline or terminate one of them. Disciplining and terminating, like hiring, requires the employer to keep records. Dairy operato
A U.S. Department of Labor survey workers on U.S. farms are quite loyal to their employers, and like their bosses.
The debate to lower New York’s agriculture overtime limit to 40 hours has been postponed. New York dairy farmers anxiously await the proposed ultimatum, knowing if passed many farmworkers would find work elsewhere.
Dairy farmer Roger Herrera addressed labor at the recent 2021 Milk Business Conference and while labor shortages are not a new to the dairy industry, it continues to be a constant headache that producers battle daily.
The problem seems straightforward—you need someone to milk cows, feed cows or feed calves. Insert COVID-19 and labor shortages now into the picture and the answer to fill those vacant positions seems complex.
A record 4.3 million people quit their jobs in the United States in August 2021, a historic high that has far-reaching effects on American life in general, and agriculture specifically
Everywhere you go, help wanted signs are out. Farmers can relate because they too are dealing with labor shortages. They are trying to learn how to keep their valuable employees from quitting.
Teamwork – on a dairy or anywhere else – requires trust, so every team member feels valued and compelled to contribute their best effort.
In a world where job opportunities are endless, take the necessary steps to develop areas of work-life balance within your teams.
Leaders who effectively cultivate a culture of connection are more successful at building strong and loyal work teams.
Retaining a poor employee can cost your business more. More money, more time and more employees. Knowing when to “let go” is crucial to your team’s success.
With labor being a top concern for dairy farms, finding people to work is becoming increasingly difficult and retaining good employees is becoming a must.
The logistics of tracking over 25 wholesale primals per carcass side (excluding trim) through a modern processing facility into a box and through distribution channels is a monumental task.
Like many dairy farms, La Luna Dairy struggles to find enough workers to keep their 1,400-cow dairy humming. Not too long ago it did not matter how many help-wanted ads they put out, they still had vacancies.
Look at the decision makers and leaders on your farm. Are they all around the same age? Do they all have the same experience level?
As thriving business owners, what can you do to hire the right people in a labor market where competition is fierce?
While the road to becoming a better manager isn’t any easy one, there are a few steps you can take to not only improve your work performance, but your team’s performance as well.
Shortages reduce efficiency and ultimately reduce revenue.
There’s currently a nationwide deficit of both long-haul and short-run truck drivers, and it will impact the transit of feed, fuel, bulk milk and processed dairy products – if it hasn’t already.
Not all work is equally important, and letting other employees step up allows them to grow as well.
In November Washington dairy farmers were required to begin paying overtime to any of their employees who work more than a 40-hour workweek. The state of Washington has the highest minimum wage in the country at $13.69.
Some farmers are fortunate to have experienced farm help on stand-by to assist them with spring field work. Other farmers are not quite so lucky. Experts offer safety tips before you send your help out in the field.
Utilizing an effective management team can help you. As the owner or leader of your business, spend less time on the non-urgent and non-important tasks or duties that pop up every day.
Maintaining good employees for the long haul is a difficult task that never ends.
What qualities define how you run your farm? Take a minute to take stock of your values.
Throughout the country, overtime laws continue to threaten the dairy labor force.
It doesn’t matter if your employees present clinical signs or if they feel “fine,” if they test positive for COVID-19, they need to leave the farm and self-isolate. Here are 4 steps to prevent future transmission.