Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Employees
Employees
Table of contents
How does your farm operate when you aren't there?
Plan systems that are organized so things happen efficiently.
Hiring
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Conflict in the dairy isn't always between the boss cow and the timid one
Some common strategies for dealing with conflict. How conflicts are resolved can make the difference between whether an employee stays or leaves.
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Hiring the right way
Laws and rules must be followed to comply with state and federal labor regulations.
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Social Security “no-matches” revisited
Rules from the Department of Homeland Security affect employment issues.
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Have you received a Social Security “mismatch” letter?
Request an original card so deposits are accurately credited to the proper account.
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What's in your job description?
Many dairy operators need to understand that they also manage the business.
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Job descriptions: a basic tool on the dairy
Achieve greater consistency of performance when it is clear who is responsible for each task.
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The face of agricultural labor in Minnesota
Reports on the number of unauthorized workers, those without valid immigration work permits.
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The right person for the right job
Non-family labor is a significant factor in dairy farming today, with economic benefits.
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Minimize your risk of I-9 problems
Steps to protect yourself and your business.
Training
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Ouch! I stuck myself!
Farms that choose to do routine veterinary work like vaccinations themselves also run the risk of their workers being exposed to accidental needle sticks.
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Employees and training are investments worth cultivating
The farm employer needs to invest in employee development to obtain top performance from them and for the benefit of the farm.
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“OSHA, ERTK - They aren't just found in alphabet soup ”
Employee Right to Know (ERTK) program, what is it and how do you comply?
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“Where do I park my car?”
New employee orientation: start an employee file, have W-4 tax forms and I-9 forms ready.
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How are interactions with your most important employees?
What is communicated to your cows by way of your actions or those of your employees?
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Do you direct or correct?
Take time to thoroughly explain what is expected and why it is important.
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Do you have a personal professional improvement plan?
You need to keep up on the latest management systems to be a better dairy manager.
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“Chalking the field” for your dairy's management team
Keep everyone working on the farm focused on where they want to take the dairy business.
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Is the problem the employee or the employer?
Taking time to train new employees pays in the end with more productive and satisfied employees.
Compensation
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Overtime management and employee rights
Proper compensation for work done is just one of the many responsibilities employers have to their employees.
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Compensation – it's more than a paycheck
Non-monetary compensation reduces personal expenses, but is difficult to assign a dollar value.
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Dairy wage survey results available
Is your dairy viewed as a good place to work? Pay scale is only a part of the answer.
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Culture and Compensation
Cultural differences on the dairy farm, compensation.
Employee safety
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Ouch! I stuck myself!
Farms that choose to do routine veterinary work like vaccinations themselves also run the risk of their workers being exposed to accidental needle sticks.
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Worker safety – make it a priority
Prevent accidents related to livestock handling or machinery operation.
Managing
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How healthy is the employment situation on your farm?
How many dairy farmers pay much attention to the health of the relationship between owner/managers and the employees?
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Earn your respect as the team leader
Treat your employees as you would want to be treated.
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How do YOUR employees treat your cows when you're not there?
You can help give yourself peace of mind by creating a written Responsible Animal Care Policy, adopting the policy into your farm's use, and by setting a good example of proper animal care on your farm.
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The value of employee handbooks
The primary purpose of an employee handbook is to list personnel and operational policies of the farm. What goes into the handbook is largely the employer's choice, but the more detail included the better.
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Farm labor laws and regulations in Minnesota – 2009
Stay in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
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Who is the “noticer” on your dairy farm?
Someone on the dairy team who takes notice is a very valuable person, whatever size or type of dairy.
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Human resource management and dairy employee commitment
What practices dairy farms use and the impact on employee commitment to the farm.
Human resource management on modern dairy farms – winter workshops in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Developing necessary management skills and developing a workforce management plan.
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Would you want to work for yourself?
Dissatisfaction with the employment situation and their supervisor is often why employees leave.
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Organizing your workforce to let you out of work once in a while!
Getting away from the dairy is a problem for many dairy producers, especially single operator units.
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Employee Handbook Development Guide
Worksheet for organizing your handbook.
Spanish language resources
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Dairy farmer's pocket Spanish dictionary
A printable pocket guide to common dairy terms in Spanish.
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Dairy Partner / El Compañero
Bimonthly newsletter geared to dairy employees with articles in English and Spanish. – University of Wisconsin
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Calfnotes.com
All of the site's information, in Spanish. – calfnotes.com
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Dairy publications in Spanish
Biosecurity, contagious vs. environmental mastitis, distillers grains, by-products in heifer diets. – State Extension Services
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Spanish dictionary of agriculture and HR management
Search for specific words or download the dictionary. – University of California
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Spanish resources on milk quality
PowerPoints, factsheets, posters. – University of Wisconsin
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Particle size instruction manual and spreadsheet
Evaluando el tamaño de partícula de forrajes y RTMs usando el Nuevo Separador de Partículas de Forraje de Penn State. (666 K PDF) – The Pennsylvania State University
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Dairy cattle handling video training kit
In both English and Spanish, DVD and booklet. – National Institute for Animal Agriculture
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Dairy cattle nutrition DVDs
From Feed to Milk, From Harvest to Feed, and From Calf to Heifer. – The Pennsylvania State University
Other employee resources we recommend
- Minnesota regulations for hiring farm workers under the age of 16 – National Ag Safety Database
- Milker training strategies: translating theory into practice (52 K PDF) – Pennsylvania State University
- Managing dairy labor (361 K PDF) – University of Nebraska
- Farm employment rules and regulations – United States Department of Agriculture
- Examples of job descriptions for major positions on dairy farms (339 K PDF) – University of Nebraska
- Agricultural labor management – University of California
