Farming Employers' Obligations

In the farming industry it can be difficult to attract employees/contractors and often there is a high turnover in these. Farming employers can often overlook the administrative aspects of employing due to their busy workloads.


However, the administrative aspects of employing are very important to help prevent and defend the business against any legal action. Legal action could come from a previous employee or Government body for breaches in Work Health and Safety regulations, the Fair Work Act, Superannuation (Guarantee) Law, Tax Law or Award conditions.


At Brentnalls SA, we are very mindful of these risks and work with farmers and third party experts to minimise risk.

New Employee Checklist

We've designed a new employee administrative checklist for employers to run through when they take on a new employee/contractor.


This checklist goes through the various statements/policies you want your new employee to sign off on that they've read and understood. It also lists those documents an employee needs to complete on commencing employment.


Employee Contracts

Farming employees generally fall under the Federal Pastoral Award. To ensure terms are clear and you're protected, an employee contract should be issued and signed by all new employees.


We've sought the third-party expertise of an industrial relationship specialist to assist our clients in preparing these contracts.

Dusk morning, pasture with cows walking over to a hay bail to eat.

Business Policies and Work Health & Safety

The policies under which your business operates are very important. They set out the rules and regulations for which employees should abide and give you recourse when they are not adhered too.


One of the most important areas is Work Health & Safety. We can assist you in developing your own policies or we can put you in touch with a provider such as Safe Ag Systems, who have an online and mobile solutions to help cover you in this area which includes a policies section with ready to use templates.

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Discuss Further?

If you would like to discuss this, please get in touch.

Disclaimer
The information provided in this information sheet does not constitute advice. The information is of a general nature only and does not take into account your individual situation. It should not be used, relied upon, or treated as a substitute for specific professional advice. We recommend that you contact Brentnalls SA before making any decision to discuss your particular requirements or circumstances.

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