Do you know your legal obligations as an employer?
Martina Gormley, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, talks us through some of the important obligations you may have as an employer.
At a recent farm walk the host farmer gave details on how he found part time employees to help run his 130 cow herd plus replacements. Flexibility, pay, responsibility, and communication featured strongly in terms of attracting people to work on the farm. After the farm walk a number of farmers asked how are these part time employees being paid? After hearing this question the thought struck me that we do not talk enough about employer’s legal obligations and also perhaps the perception can be that part time employees legal requirement’s may differ from full time employees.
Legal requirements are the same for part and full time employees. The WRC website (www.workplacerelations.ie) is a fantastic resource for employers and employees.
Everything you need to know is included under “what you should know” circled in red in the image above. You can view details on hours, wages, leave, public holidays, employer obligations, terms and conditions etc. There is also a contact option for any additional queries.
Many farmers now outsource payroll for both part and full time employees to their accountant or a payroll company. However, it is still important to update yourself to ensure that hours worked, leave and breaks are recorded and meet the legal requirements. Don’t get caught out, go to www.workplacerelations.ie.