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Know How / Staff management

Case studies

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DAIRY

Dairy farmer’s recruitment study focuses on neurodiversity

A diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has led a Staffordshire contract dairy farmer to explore ways farms can make the most of the wide-ranging skills neurodiverse people have to…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Recruitment management decision shapes estate's farm staff

The recent appointment of an assistant manager at the Woburn Estate’s in-hand farming operation is an important part of William Haupt’s approach to risk management and succession. Seven years into…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

How a thriving dairy values staff as decision makers

Staff walk the fields together to measure grass at Sam Carey’s three dairy farming businesses. A one-person job on most dairy farms, Mr Carey encourages a collaborative approach to measuring…

DAIRY

How best to achieve a work-life balance on dairy farms

Work-life balance will mean something different to everybody. There are some who will scoff at the term while, for others, it is a key part of business management. With the…

DAIRY

How 10 in 7 milking helped work-life balance and cow health

One of the biggest challenges for the UK dairy industry is attracting new staff and holding onto them, so when spring milk producer Mark Hoskins had a vacancy in his…

PIGS

How staffing has enabled a Norfolk pig producer’s expansion

Unprecedented challenges in the British pig industry have not deterred the Farmers Weekly 2021 Pig Farmer of the Year from thinking about how he can future-proof and ensure the longevity of…

Practical advice

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DAIRY

Could a Saturday teenager work on your farm?

A traditional rite of passage into the world of work for schoolchildren could be a solution for livestock farmers trying to attract new people into the industry. Employing a Saturday…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

What are the key traits of top-performing arable farms?

High input costs, volatile markets, challenging weather and reduced direct support payments are all affecting the bottom line for farmers, making it imperative that businesses focus on improving performance and…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Employment law changes 2024 - what farmers need to be aware of

Anyone employing staff needs to grapple with a number of recent and planned changes to the law. From the practice of rolled-up holiday pay being extended to irregular and part-year…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Tips to attract and retain staff in a tough market

Immigration policy changes, war in Ukraine and farming’s poor public image, have combined to make recruiting and retaining staff tougher than ever, according to labour management experts. Research fellow Dr…

LIVESTOCK

Advice for livestock farmers on improving management skills

Taking stock at the end of the year and considering what you would like to achieve in 2024 might include a building project or filling some knowledge gaps. But it…

LIVESTOCK

What makes a good employer on a dairy farm?

Finding – and keeping – good-quality staff is a growing problem for dairy farm owners and managers. To help tackle this, LIC consultant Piers Badnell asked employees of 20 dairy…

Insights

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BUSINESS

What the Institute of Ag Management offers farm managers

Changing agricultural and environmental policies along with a shift in public expectations mean that farmers and their managers have an increasingly challenging job. Many of those described as farm managers…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Survey of farm managers' pay shows 12% rise in two years

UK farm manager salaries have more or less kept pace with inflation in the past two years, rising by an average of 12% to £59,695, but some businesses are paying…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Advice on farm staff issues with drug and alcohol use

Employers have a legal duty to protect employees’ health, safety and welfare, and that means taking action if they suspect that an individual is the worse for wear from drink…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Farm payroll: Rules employers need to consider

Gone are the days when farmers only had to work out income tax deductions and national insurance contributions (NIC) before paying staff. With pension auto-enrolment, new rules on holiday pay,…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

UK horticulture careers towards seasonal labour crisis

With robotic pickers and packers many years away for most commercial horticulture businesses and labour availability falling dramatically, the industry is on the verge of a crisis. Industry leaders want…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

How leadership training can help secure the future of farming

Some of the biggest organisations in farming have come together to raise awareness of leadership training across the industry. Now in its second year, the #AgriLeadershipWeek social media campaign will…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Survey reveals farm managers' salaries, bonuses and perks

Farm managers now earn a salary package averaging £53,306, and the age of people commanding that level of pay is getting younger. The survey, Farm managers in 2022, their jobs…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Why training and development are key to farming competitiveness

Good farm management, employee recruitment and staff retention are seen as key for UK agriculture to become more productive and sustainable – while meeting ever-increasing consumer expectations. The need for…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Farm apprenticeships: Everything you need to know

Apprenticeships are mutually beneficial arrangements between an employer and an employee that allow practical skills to be built up alongside an educational programme. Employers enjoy being able to mould young…