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Generate Personnel Policy Manual

The information in the help text is provided as an example of typical policies. Every employer should develop their own personnel policies based on their situation. You should consult an attorney or the Department of Labor in your state for the most up-to-date laws and best practices.

Our Farm
Provide a brief description of your farm/ranch.
This helps clarify what matters to you and should provide some clues to employees about expected behavior.
Who are the owners/managers? How are key responsibilities divided between individuals? This helps clarify lines of communication.
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We hire, promote, and make work assignments on the basis of employee qualifications without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, nation of origin or disability unrelated to the job in question as per requirements of relevant state and federal laws. Discriminatory behavior by anyone in this farm business will not be tolerated.
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Your employment at XXXX Farm is entered into voluntarily and you are free to resign at any time. Similarly, because an "at-will" relationship exists, your employment can be terminated at any time, and for any reason.
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As required by law, we provide Workers’ Compensation Insurance Coverage for all employees. Workers’ Compensation covers medical expenses related to an on-the-job injury or illness. Insurance coverage is paid by your employer. Please report any on-the-job injury or illness immediately to _______. At the time of the injury or illness, you should fill out a Workers’ Comp form even if no medical treatment is required.
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It is important for us to keep our employment records up-to-date. Please tell ______ of the following and send updates of any changes:
-Your full legal name
-Your contact information (mailing address, email, telephone)
-Emergency contact information
Your personnel file is always available for you to review upon request.
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Regular hours are 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, which may vary some depending on weather and other factors. We usually take a paid 15-minute break mid-morning, a 15-minute lunch break and a 15-minute break early-afternoon. Whenever possible we combine the lunch break and the afternoon break to create a 30 minute continuous break. There is no set break time. We work breaks into our daily activities. Some employees may work part-time and/or weekends.
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Sometimes we are required to work long hours and we expect that you may be available to work extra hours when asked. We will try to let you know a day in advance but this is not always possible. You will be paid for this time at the regular rate.
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Each employee is responsible for keeping track of his or her time worked daily on a bi-weekly timesheet. The time sheet is set up for tracking the amount of labor devoted to each crop to aid in determining cost and profitability of each crop. If you do not understand the sheet, please ask _____ for help.
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We expect employees to arrive on time, prepared to work. Often the daily instructions are given out first thing in the morning, and your lateness will delay your work and cause inconvenience to other workers. Frequent lateness, long breaks, and/or unsatisfactory attendance can lead to disciplinary actions. Your attendance may be a factor in evaluating you for continued employment and raises.
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If you know you will be absent in advance, let _____ know and contact your fellow workers and try to exchange the day you can’t work for one of theirs, and then communicate that change to ________. All workers scheduled need to show up for work if the farm is to run smoothly. If one of your co-workers can’t take your day, you may need to come in. If you are sick or much be absent unexpectedly, call xxx-xxxx between 6:30 and 7:30 on the morning of your absence, or preferably the night before. Call that evening to indicate whether you will be able to return to work your next scheduled shift.
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The pay period is bi-weekly, beginning on Monday and ending on Sunday afternoon of the following week. Payday is on every other Monday, for work performed the previous two weeks. Paychecks will be distributed by lunch on those Mondays. Please be sure that ______ has a permanent mailing address for mailing the final check of the season and any tax related forms.
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We are required to withhold from your weekly earnings federal and state income tax and social security tax. The first paycheck will not be distributed until you have completed W-4 form with your social security number.
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Each year we establish a base pay for new and inexperienced employees. Experienced employees are scored for their number of seasons with the farm, management position, attitude, and other relevant experience and education. Their pay is determined by adding a set percentage above the base pay for each point. Pay rate will be established at the beginning of the growing season. The rate will be stated on the offer of employment letter.
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We do not offer pay advances or loans to employees.
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We try to give a year-end bonus each year to employees who have been with the farm for the entire season, spring through Thanksgiving. The decision on whether to give bonuses and the amount may vary based on how well the business has done in the previous year.
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After working three full years with us, including part-time through the winter and full-time through the growing season, April through November, you are entitled to one week of paid vacation starting in your fourth year. If you do not use all your vacation days one year, you may use them the next year. However, you may not accumulate more than fifteen days of vacation at any time. We feel that vacation time is important to increase employee morale and work performance. Therefore, we do not allow employees to take vacation pay instead of actual vacation time. Work out vacation schedules with ____ at least three weeks in advance. If you leave the farm before you have taken all the vacation time due, you will be paid for these days as long as you have given the farm at least two weeks’ notice.
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Year-round and seasonal employees will be allowed four hours sick leave for every 160 hours worked beginning in their second year of employment. You may only collect sick leave pay for hours you are scheduled to work, and not for holidays or vacations. You keep gaining sick leave until is used, so that long-term employees can accumulate time in case of major illness. Sick leave is to be used in case of personal illness only.
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We do not provide paid holiday benefits. We generally work on the ‘holidays’ occurring during the growing season including Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day, and do not observe these as paid holidays. We generally do not schedule workdays on the other “holidays” such as New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas and do not provide paid holidays for these days.
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Full-time, year-round and seasonal employees who have worked at least one year are eligible for up to two consecutive working days paid funeral leave in the event of the death of an immediate family member. For the purposes of this policy, immediate family members include spouses/partners, parents, children, siblings, sons- or daughters-in-law, siblings-in-law, stepparents, stepchildren, stepsiblings, and any of these listed relations of your spouse/partner.
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At XXXXX Farm we recognize that serving on a jury when called is an important civic duty. Employees will, therefore, be given a leave of absence when called to serve on a jury. All full-time year-round and seasonal employees who have worked at least two years on the farm will be eligible to be paid for this absence. You will be paid your regular daily wage, less the amount paid for serving on the jury for up to two weeks of jury duty. To be granted a leave of absence, bring in your jury summons. If you are eligible to be paid, bring in a record of what you have been paid from the courts.
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We respect the wishes of employees to practice their religion as their faith dictates. If you inform _____ in advance, and we can work together to reasonably accommodate an absence for religious reasons, your requests for time off will be granted.
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See _____ for absences not covered in this handbook.
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There is a cabin and a tent platform, which were built on the property by previous employees. These facilities are available for use by one or two employees, each, mid-April through Thanksgiving. Arrangements for utilizing the cabin and tent platform are to be finalized at the beginning of the growing season. If the occupants decide to move out before the end of the season, it may be offered to other employees. Occupants of the cabin are expected to keep it clean and well-maintained. If repairs are needed, notify _____. If repairs are substantial, the occupants may be required to find alternative housing off the farm. The cabin is not winterized. We ask occupants to remove all their belongings at the time they discontinue living there. Residents of the cabin and/or tent platform are responsible for keeping the kitchen and bathroom clean.
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We have established a staff kitchen and bathroom in the barn and a port-a-potty for use by employees during work hours and for occupants of the cabin after working hours. Users of the facilities are responsible for keeping them clean and well-maintained.
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There is much vehicle and equipment movement around the farm. To keep circulation moving smoothly we request that you park in an organized fashion behind the upper greenhouses.
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Most of the farm work is performed outside. It often rains during the season. We usually work in all but the worst storms. We will provide waterproof bib overalls, jackets, and work gloves, but expect employees to bring their own boots, hats, and any layers of clothing for warmth and comfort.
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We only have one phone line for the farm and house, and that is the phone we use for business. We realize that sometimes you will need to make personal calls. Please make them during your lunch break or after work. We pay a set monthly fee for all calls within the US and Canada so these calls do not cost us anything extra. Cell service is spotty at best on the farm. You may bring your cell phone to work but we ask that calls/texts be limited to breaks and after work. No photos or videos may be taken on the farm without the permission of the owners and those appearing in the photos/videos.
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Safety is of paramount importance to us and our goal is to do everything in our power to provide a safe work environment for you and your co-workers. First aid supplies are kept in the staff kitchen. If you are involved in an accident that results in injury to you or another worker or damage to machinery, notify ______ immediately. If, at any time, you have suggestions for how we can make our farm a safer place to work please share your ideas with us. Report any unsafe situation (including malfunctioning equipment) you observe to ____ immediately. Specific address and directions to the farm are posted next to every telephone. The number to dial in an emergency is 911.
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You may be asked to use farm vehicles in your work. You must have a valid drivers’ license to operate a truck or car and you must carry your license with you. Drive slowly around the property, watching carefully for people, pets and other vehicles. When using farm vehicles you are responsible for routine maintenance (filling gas tanks, checking oil, etc.). Deliberate or negligent abuse of farm equipment may lead to disciplinary action. All safety features on vehicles are to be used appropriately. Report any problems immediately. If you are asked to use your vehicle for farm purposes, you may expect to be reimbursed for mileage.
Use this section to outline your expectations for working in various weather situations, for example during thunder/lightning storms, in during hot or cold weather. Are there certain types of weather in which employees won’t do certain types of work? Are there certain types of gear that employees will be expected to have to enable them to work in certain types of weather? How much notice will they have regarding weather-related changes to work hours or job tasks? You may want to outline common situations that may be affected by the weather and indicate whose responsibility it will be for making decisions around whether to change work hours or job tasks.
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To operate a safe and successful business we must observe and follow all company rules and regulations. If your behavior interferes with the orderly and efficient operation of the farm, disciplinary action may result. The following is a partial list of actions that are grounds for disciplinary action:
- Reporting to work or being at work under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Buying, selling, growing, transporting or possession of illegal drugs on the farm property or in the farm’s vehicles
- Theft of pilferage
- Dishonesty or an attempt to defraud the business
- Falsifying timesheets for yourself or another employee
- Recklessness or gross negligence leading to a serious or potential accident
- Sleeping on the job
- Unauthorized possession of firearms or explosives on the farm’s property
- Willingly, knowingly, or purposefully damaging farm equipment
- Insubordination or disregard for managers and/or assignments
- Discourteous or inconsiderate treatment of customers, fellow employees, and/or employers
- Fighting or provoking a fight at the farm
- Excessive or habitual tardiness or absence from work
The above list is not inclusive; unacceptable conduct not listed above may lead to disciplinary action that may include oral warnings, written warnings, suspension without pay or discharge.
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For safety reasons, smoking is not permitted in any of the farm buildings. You may smoke outdoors away from petroleum products and other flammable materials. If you do smoke, wash your hands before handling any plant materials. Respect the environment and pick up all smoking materials and dispose of properly.
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No consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs and/or operating under the influence of these is acceptable during the work day. No underage consumption of alcohol permitted on the farm property at any time. Crew members offering alcohol to underage persons will be held responsible.
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This Farm strives to provide a work environment free of tensions from matters that do not relate to the Farm’s operation. The Farm strongly disapproves of any form of harassment including but not limited to ethnic, racial, or sexual harassment. Actions, overtures, or remarks involving ethnic or religious animosity, or conduct of a sexual nature will not be tolerated. Employees have the responsibility to bring any form of harassment to the supervisor’s attention. In the case that the person alleged of harassment is the supervisor, the complaint should be taken to the Farm owner. Reporting employees will not be subject to reprisal and all reports will be kept confidential. The Farm will investigate the report promptly and in as confidential a manner as possible. The Farm will review the results of the investigation with the individual making the report. If the Farm determines that an employee engaged in harassment, disciplinary action will be taken. Harrassment may be a legal issue and the processes of this manual are not a substitute for the legal process to which every individual is entitled.
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Our customers are very valuable to us as is our local reputation. Treat each customer with respect. If a customer begins to complain about something to you, refer them to _______. Say something like, "Your opinion is valuable to us. I think the owner would want to hear what you have to say."
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Though you may leave your job "at will" we request you give us two weeks' notice before leaving whenever possible.
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Due to the seasonal nature of our business, we must layoff employees during certain times of the year. Most people who are laid off have been told at the beginning of their employment with us that they will be laid off at the end of the season. If you have questions about your status please contact your supervisor. Regardless of your status, if possible, you will be given two weeks' notice of being laid off.