Federated Farmers board member Andrew Hoggard said farmers realised they needed to improve compliance and were doing so, evident by the turnout at employment seminars the federation ran last year.
Former Combined Trade Union president Helen Kelly has this week continued an on-going social media campaign against what she views as farm employers making staff work long hours for low hourly pay.
She has highlighted advertisements seeking staff that in one case required staff to work 60-hour weeks for $15.32 an hour, and in another, required to work 11 consecutive days.
Hoggard said he would not defend employers who did not meet the minimum legal compliance but he said the advertisements highlighted by Kelly did not breach the law.
He said employees had their own goals and aspirations.
Some wanted to work long hours to earn extra money to advance their careers while others sought a job that allowed them to retain their lifestyle and each picked suitable jobs.
Hoggard said he operated a five-day-on two-day-off staffing roster on his dairy farm but this deterred some prospective employees who preferred an 11-on three-off schedule so they could regularly have weekends off.
“They go into it with their eyes wide open. They are grown adults and it comes down to their personal choice.”
Attracting farm staff was competitive and to get the best staff employers had to offer attractive packages.
There were times of the year when farms were very busy, but other times when they were not, but Hoggard said employers needed to accurately record all hours worked.
“The impression I get from them (labour inspectors) is that farmers were not going out to exploit people but it was a case of historically ‘this is a way we have done things and she’ll be right’.”
Agriculture has previously attracted the attention of labour inspectors and last April enforcement action was taken against 19 dairy employers for breaching employment law after inspectors visited 29 farms in nine regions.
Acting labour inspectorate manager Steve Watson said as part of a programme to ensure compliance five audits targeting dairy farms have been done since 2013 with the most recent last October.
Results are still being finalised, but of the 20 farms visited seven were found to have breached minimum employment standards, nine did not have any breaches and four were still being assessed.
Watson said his staff were also working with Federated Farmers, DairyNZ and Horticulture NZ to assist employers with compliance including supporting the launch last May of the Sustainable Dairying; Workplace Action Plan.
