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Farm Business Human Resource Plan

The Human Resource Plan describes the organizational structure of the business, identifying who will manage it and the number and type of employees needed.

A Human Resource Plan defines the following:

• 1. Human Resource Needs

  This part summarizes how many people are needed for the company, including what type of workforce is needed, what materials or machinery are needed, who needs to be replaced, what are the company's daily tasks, and who will perform them.

  Example of a Task Breakdown and Workforce Requirements:

  

• 2. Recruiting Strategy

  When hiring:

  • Know how many people need to be hired, what skills they should possess, and hire them when the time is right.
  • Hire individuals with the skills to do the job with the right attitude and personality for your company.
  • Follow state guidelines in your hiring process.
  • You can use an external company to help you hire when you are having trouble finding employees.
• 3. Employee Selection

  When selecting employees, choose people:

  • Who closely matches the right skills for the job description
  • Depending on the task, the law may require reference checks, background checks, or medical testing after the interviews.
  • After you select an employee, salary, benefits, and vacation time may be negotiated.
• 4. Training

  When developing training, make sure to train the employees in the following:

  • Company structure and values
  • Job skills and procedures
  • Communication skills
  • Work safety
  • Regulations and Laws
• 5. Compensation

  Compensation will vary depending on the job position and law requirements. When offering compensation, take into consideration the following:

  • Employee motivation
  • Type of employee (Experienced vs. Unexperienced)
  • Always check for local laws and regulations and the minimum wage requirements.
• 6. Employee Evaluations

  It is a good practice to perform an employee appraisal at least once a year. The appraisal should help you determine the following:

  • If a salary increase based on effort is appropriate
  • If a change of position is needed
  • Employee productivity
  • If more training is needed for a particular employee
  • If Termination will be needed for a particular employee

Types of Employees:

• 1. Employer

  The person or company that provides job opportunities. In most businesses, the employer develops the HR Plan. The employer must comply with all obligations required by law, such as:

  • Regulations, Permits, and City Ordinances (the employer must comply with the law)
  • Licenses (Food, Pesticides, etc.)
  • OSHA Regulations
  • Worker Protection Standards (WPS)
  • Provide employees with:
    • Essential materials for the job
    • Payments to Social Security and Medicare
    • Workers’ compensation insurance
    • Unemployment insurance
    • Automobile insurance (if driving is required)
    • Vacation and sick days
• 2. Handlers

  Any person employed by an agricultural establishment to mix, load, transfer, or apply pesticides or to do another task that brings them into direct contact with pesticides.

• 3. Agricultural Workers

  Any person employed by an agricultural employer to do tasks such as harvesting, weeding, or watering related to the production of agricultural plants on farms, forests, nurseries, or greenhouses.

  By definition, “agricultural workers” do not apply pesticides or handle pesticide containers or equipment. Regardless, they are working in environments that may be exposed to pesticides.

For more information about a Farm Business Plan and Human Resources Plan, please access the following “Ask IFAS” publication:

Primer for Developing a Farm Business Plan