Peninsula HR

Agriculture and Farming

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Running an agriculture business in New Zealand is challenging

The New Zealand agriculture industry plays a significant role in the country’s economy. As an industry, it is diverse and complex. A shortage of skilled and unskilled labour, HR issues, and meeting health and safety compliance are among the main challenges for primary producers.

With access to expert advice from Peninsula 24/7, you can always get answers to your most challenging HR and Health and Safety questions.

Some of the most common issues faced by the farming sector

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Health and safety

Protect employees by minimising slip and fall hazards and provide training for correct machinery operation and manual lifting techniques.

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Hiring and onboarding

New employees or inexperienced contractors require a well-developed onboarding process to do their job safely.

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Managing employees

Time-tracking software helps keep accurate records of shifts and hours worked to ensure employees are paid correctly.

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Wages

Expert advice on the latest minimum wage and entitlements to ensure employees are compensated correctly.

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Retention and performance

Attracting and retaining high performing and skilled employees can enhance profitability, farm efficiency, and reduce staff turnover.

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Mental health

Help employees manage their mental wellbeing with access to qualified counsellors through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Working in agriculture can be as rewarding as it is challenging. Starting before dawn and working after dusk during peak periods such as harvesting or calving, foaling and lambing season. That’s why many agriculture businesses prefer working with Peninsula. Our team can customise our HR and HSW services for your farming business. This enables you to focus on supporting your staff and keeping your farm operational.

Agriculture is considered a high risk industry. There are many hazards employees need to be acutely aware of when working in the various agriculture industry sectors. As a farm owner or manager it's your responsibility to provide a safe environment for all employees.

Some common farming safety risks include:

  • Operating tractors, harvesters, balers, augers, motorbikes, and quad bikes.
  • Chemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers.
  • Exposure to sun and varying weather conditions.
  • Working with livestock.
  • Working in remote areas or working alone.
  • Incorrectly lifting or twisting when carrying heavy loads.

These safety hazards could cause:

  • Traumatic joint, ligament, muscle and tendon injuries
  • Wounds, lacerations and amputations
  • Internal organ damage
  • Bone fractures

While there are constant workplace hazards, you can minimise risks to your employees through:

With access to expert advice 24/7, Peninsula can offer insights to help keep your team safe and your farm running smoothly.

Managing Health and Safety is critical in farming

Keep your business moving with support from HR and HSW experts at Peninsula

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Unlimited advice 24/7

As a Peninsula client you can always call our local expert team and feel secure knowing you’re getting the right advice for your business.

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Protecting your business

Exclusive to Peninsula clients, Peninsula Protect offers protection for legal liability and defence costs arising from HR and HSW claims.

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Discipline and grievance processes

Our expert team can advise on dealing with discipline and grievance issues fairly. Helping to achieve a beneficial resolution.

Not every business has the resources to create tailored documentation for each employee. Peninsula's experienced team can develop business-critical HR and HSW documentation, employee contracts, handbooks, and manuals. The right documentation allows you to put protocols and response plans in place to ensure your farm is industry compliant and running smoothly.

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Discover all the ways Peninsula can help your Agriculture business