The utterance of seasonal workers in the United States sends a message of agricultural recruitment for the same. Since time immemorial, agricultural recruitment has been done umpteen times seasonally, often involving casual laborers from overseas. Agricultural Recruitment Agri Labour has proved as the primary employer for seasonal workers in the booming seasons. Usually, this is a chance for foreign workers to make a kill of the extra income provided by the Agricultural industries. The pay rate as a seasoned worker depends on the job at hand and experience. The seasons in the agricultural sectors include planting seasons and harvesting seasons.
However, there are several things to prepare when hiring these seasonal workers from overseas. They include among the following:
Following the usual rules and policies
Most regulations and procedures that apply to permanent employees in the agricultural industries will still apply to seasoned workers who intend to work in the same industry. An exception to the policies provided by the law is the Family Medical Leave Act which may not be compatible with the seasoned workers. This policy allows workers to take up to twelve-week of job-protected unpaid leave during twelve months for qualifying family and medical reasons. Another thing to prepare is about the policies that the company may have specifically in place for the workers though they may not be eligible for the very same benefits under the law. Liaising with a certified attorney is recommended here to determine the legal status of the workers according to the stipulations of the law.
Withholding the correct taxes
Withholding taxes is quite critical to avoid stepping on the relevant authorities. Generally, all employers are mandated to withhold taxes of their workers, seasonal workers not being an exception. In anticipation of hiring seasonal workers for Agri labor, the employer should widely prepare the relevant taxation documents to be filled by the workers at the beginning of their contracts. This action will subject both the part-time and seasonal employees to the tax withholding rules and policies. The forms to be completed will include a W-4 form and any other applications as required by the state. However, in some instances, though rare in Agricultural recruitment for seasoned workers, the employees may earn too little from the seasonal work to owe the state income tax. The IRS rules apply for this case.
Overtime payments
The primary purpose of hiring seasoned workers from overseas is because the season is busy and booming. It will, therefore, be quite apparent that demand will be high prompting for overtime work from the workers. The employer should prepare adequately to pay for any overtime work that may be required outside the regular working hours as stipulated in the contract. Overtime payment is directed by the Fair Labour Standards Act which needs all the employers to pay the workers in terms of overtime, an amount not less than at the rate 1.5 times the employees’ regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. However federal law does not recognize work done during holidays as overtime and do not authorize for their payment by the private employers.
Flexibility
Private employers who intend to carry out Agricultural recruitment for seasoned workers must prepare flexible schedules for them. This is because most workers, including seasonal workers, prioritize flexibility in working conditions. The employers should prepare to be allowing these when they can, within the limits of their agricultural businesses. Of course, this may be a good game plan for retaining the services of seasonal workers any tie they will be needed. This preparation can take place in various forms. The employer should have a cross-training ready to allow the seasoned workers to pick up shifts selectively according to what they would prefer best for them. A good, well-projected advance schedule for all the workers could work the magic of allowing for flexibility in the line of duty.
Classification of the workers
Any employer intending to hire seasonal workers from overseas should be prepared well enough on how to classify them in the company. Often, these foreign workers are misclassified as independent contractors, an issue that brings up a mix up on work allocation considering that the circumstances do not legally justify such a classification. An example is when issuing insurance for the workers. Any seasonal worker who performs on an average of at least 30 hours a week for a period not exceeding 120o days is eligible for Health Insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Inappropriate classification of seasonal workers can attract penalties for the company, so it is so crucial that an employer prepare adequately on the same, before having the employees at the ground level.
Managers training
The employers should prepare on how to handle the expanding team. This is because hiring additional seasonal employees from overseas means an added number of laborers, since the owners of the companies or farms may not be at the field to supervise the Agri labor, the managers are the ones to be given additional training on how to handle the expanded responsibilities. The training may go beyond the managers to include the seasonal workers as well. They must complete the training for anti-discrimination and harassment during working hours. They may be required to complete the training by the local law.
Expectations
Private employers should set the expectations very clear with the seasonal employees sourced from overseas before bringing them fully on board. This is including specifying the terms of the job verbally and in writing stressing that the position is temporary. This expectation should be clear on the worker’s mind to prevent any misunderstanding in the future. They must fully understand that they are being hired for a limited duration in the season.
The above are the conventional ways in which the private managers should think of preparing before having foreign seasonal workers on board. The overall advantages of early preparation will work to the benefit of the company or farm since it will prevent any penalties or any possible confrontation with the authorities.
About The Author
Stephanie Braga
Hi, I am Stephanie Braga. A professional blogger and content community manager on this platform. I love to write and post content on different niche. Contact me, if you need any help related to digital marketing or content marketing.
