Farm business management

Transcription

1 Farm business management Pack 3 Job roles Pack Code: FBM3 This pack you will help you to: List typical farm job roles Describe job descriptions and person specifications Outline areas where the law impacts on employment.

2 About this pack Objectives This pack will help you to: List typical farm job roles Describe job descriptions and person specifications Outline areas where the law impacts on employment. This pack is relevant to the level 3 unit Business management in the landbased sector, and in particular the following outcome: Outcome 2: Understand business resources and structures It is also relevant to the level 3 unit Participate in business planning and improvement in the land-based sector, and in particular the following outcome: Outcome 4: Be able to prepare a business plan Links to other packs This is one of a series of learning packs, each tackling an aspect of farm business management. They are: FBM1: The farming sector FBM2: Types of business FBM3: Job roles FBM4: The agricultural marketplace FBM5: Record keeping FBM6: Recording income and ependiture FBM7: Profit and loss and balance sheets FBM8: Depreciation FBM9: Business improvement FBM10: Market research Farm business management 2

3 Introduction There is a wide range of job roles within agriculture. Job roles on a dairy farm might include: Farm owner Dairy/herd manager Herdsperson Assistant herdsperson Stockperson Tractor driver Job roles on an arable farm might include: Farm owner Farm manager Workshop supervisor, service engineer, etc. Harvest worker, arable operator, tractor driver, etc Sub-contractors for tasks such as ploughing, spraying and harvesting Farms might also employ admin or secretarial staff, accountants, computer specialists, sales staff, etc. Organisation charts One way of showing the roles of an organisation is via an organisation chart, as in this eample: Owner Farm manager Workshop manager Tractor driver Tractor driver Farm secretary Service engineer The organisation chart shows lines of responsibility: The tractor drivers and farm secretary report to the farm manager. The workshop engineer reports to the workshop manager. The farm manager and the workshop manager both report to the farm owner. Farm business management 3

4 Job descriptions Job descriptions define the overall purpose of the job and the main tasks to be carried out. It is likely to include: The job title: must give both the job holder and other people a clear idea of what work is involved. Responsible to: the job title of the person the job holder reports to. Responsible for: the job titles of other staff who report to the job holder. Job purpose: a clear description of the main objectives of the position. Duties: the main tasks that the job holder will carry out, together with an indication of the range of decision making Conditions of service: pay, holidays, benefits, etc. A job description may be relatively short, as in this eample: We are looking for an eperienced tractor driver. You will operate an 80hp tractor with a 40 foot loaded trailer. You will both work on site and travel on the public highway between sites. You must be reliable and able to work on your own initiative and as part of a team. You must be prepared to work a fied shift 5 days a week. You must hold a full driving licence and a forklift licence would be an advantage. Activity Make a note of 4 5 main tasks that might be included in a short job description for a herdsperson on a dairy farm. Check your answers with the feedback at the end of this pack. Farm business management 4

5 Eample job description Here is a more detailed job description for a herdsperson on a dairy farm: Job title: Herdsperson Reports to: Dairy Manager Family-owned 700 acre dairy farm with 300 Friesian/Holstein dairy cows yielding 7500 litres per annum with all year round calving. Milking is twice a day through a computer-linked 20/20 herringbone parlour. Main purpose To milk the herd and maintain the parlour and dairy in accordance with milk and dairies regulations whilst achieving top class standards in the areas of hygiene, fertility, footcare and general husbandry. Key duties Key duties include Managing the herd on a day to day basis Milking twice daily Maintaining milk hygiene to required standards Monitoring milk quality Monitoring the health of the herd and reporting health issues Informing the owner of any problems. Other tasks To assist with scientific procedures including nutrition, breeding, quota management and animal health. To carry out heat detection and AI. To maintain required herd records such as NMR and the medicine book. To liaise with the veterinary surgeon as necessary. To maintain animal welfare. To comply with health and safety regulations. To assist with other tasks as required. Farm business management 5

6 Person specifications Person specifications define the skills, qualities and attributes needed to do the job well. A person specification is a profile or pen portrait of the kind of person who would be suitable for a particular post. It lists the attributes that the successful candidate should possess. Eamples of the attributes include: whether specific qualifications and/or work eperience are essential or desirable whether the person will need to be able to work alone and/or with other people whether the person will need to solve problems, take decisions, use initiative the kind of attitude the job will call for which key skills such as communication or number the job will call for specific qualities such as tidiness, accuracy, reliability whether the job requires physical deterity or strength whether a driving licence or certificates of competence may be needed. Eample person specification Here is a person specification for a shepherd(ess): Attributes Essential Desirable Eperience of working in a sheep unit Eperience of record keeping Ability to take initiative Good teamworker Willing to work fleible hours Good communication skills PA1, PA2 and PA6 sprayer certificates Eperience of machinery maintenance Rough terrain forklift certificate Farm business management 6

7 Activity Make a note of possible attributes that might be needed for the herdsperson job description on page 5. Check your answers with the feedback at the end of this pack. Farm business management 7

8 Legal rights and responsibilities The law lays down important rights and responsibilities. Employment law Employment law covers all aspects of employment, including: job advertisements and interviews (see pack HR1) contracts of employment (see pack HR1) pay statements (see pack HR1) employment protection, including redundancy, dismissal, discipline, grievances and employment tribunals (see pack HR2) discrimination (see pack HR3) parental rights (see pack HR3) working hours and the minimum wage (see pack HR3) data protection and whistle-blowing (see pack HR3) trade union membership (see pack HR3) Health and safety law Health and safety law applies to all businesses however small. It covers employees, full - or part-time, casual, temporary or permanent; the selfemployed; young people doing work eperience; apprentices; charity workers; mobile workers such as contractors and home workers. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 provides the basic framework for health and safety law in the UK (see pack FHS1). Other regulations that apply to farming include: Risk assessments The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 see pack FHS2. Accidents see for eample The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) see pack FHS3. Preventing eposure to harmful substances The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH see pack FHS4) Manual handling the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 see pack FHS5. There are also a number of approved codes of practice that support the regulations and set out the practical measures that farms need to rake to comply with the law. There are codes for work equipment, pesticides, lift trucks, etc. Farm business management 8

9 Resources and further reading You will find a number of publications dealing with business management in the college library. You may find the following helpful: The Lantra website has details of a wide range of job roles in farming. See Farmers Weekly Interactive has a job search section. See Land-force.com includes a range of current job descriptions. See There are also sample job descriptions in the farming info centre at Answers to activities Activity on page 3 For the herdsperson the job description might include: To manage the herd on a day to day basis. To assist with nutrition, breeding and animal health. To maintain required herd records. To recognise signs of ill health. To comply with health and safety regulations. To maintain the parlour and dairy hygiene. Activity on page 7 For the herdsperson post the person specification might include: Proven eperience of managing a dairy unit of 200+ cows. Working knowledge of TMR. Working knowledge of DIYAI/genetics/record keeping/hygiene requirements/health and safety regulations. Ability to use NMR lists, a three week calendar and Kamars is essential. Able to work unsupervised. Full UK driving licence. Computer literate. Organised. Farm business management 9

10 Knowledge quiz 1 Note down here four typical job roles in the farming sector: a) b) c) d) 2 What are the main elements of a job description? 3 What is the purpose of a person specification? 4 List three tings that are covered by employment law: a) b) c) 5 List three tings that are covered by health and safety law: a) b) c) Farm business management 10

11 Acknowledgements This learning pack has been produced by the Land Based Colleges National Consortium Ltd. The LBCNC is a consortium of colleges working in the land-based sector which cooperate in the development and production of quality fleible learning materials which encourage independent learning. We would like to acknowledge the contributions made by the following individuals and colleges in the development of this learning pack. Critical review and feedback We are grateful for comments and suggestions from: Mike Ridout, Sparsholt College Photographs: Steve Watson, Riseholme College, University of Lincoln Developed and produced for LBCNC by Learners First Developed in July The Land Based Colleges National Consortium Ltd. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy or adapt the material in this learning pack is granted to members of the Land Based Colleges National Consortium Ltd. only. For further information please contact the LBCNC project management team at 7 Tyne Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8EE. Tel Farm business management 11