To ensure our communications reach your inbox, please add cu-agworkforce@cornell.edu to your safe senders list. Welcome to the Ag Workforce Quarterly newsletter! We are excited to share with you the latest news about what is happening with the agricultural workforce and human resource management. Progressive farm employers know that employees are critical to business success, and they are taking steps to find, hire, develop and retain the very best workforce possible. We’re working to educate and support more farm employers in creating great places to work and rewarding experiences for employees.  Our mission at Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development is to help farmers and agribusiness professionals develop committed and effective teams. We believe that agricultural work can, and should, be engaging and rewarding for everyone involved, and that all managers can learn to apply the best human resource management practices. The Ag Workforce Quarterly will help achieve this mission by keeping the focus on farm workforce development in areas such as: regulatory compliance, management development, employee housing, Spanish resources, and human resource management research.   We hope that you gain thought-provoking and inspiring ideas from this newsletter that you can apply in your workplace and with your team!  State and federal employment regulations are extensive and constantly changing. In this section, we will provide reviews of existing regulations and updates when changes come about. We will also provide links to helpful resources. With changing overtime laws in New York, there is a renewed attention for employers on pay procedures and accuracy. It’s a good time to review the basics of payroll records, wage statements, and pay notices.  New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) clearly describes payroll record requirements for employers in this document: P715 - Wage Theft Prevention Act - Department of Labor. The requirements indicate that employers must:  Keep records for six years; records include the new notice and acknowledgment and payroll records    Keep accurate records of hours worked by employees and wages paid; now, the law clarifies that employers must keep the records on an ongoing basis; the employer may not make up the records after the fact at the end of the week, month, or year    For each week an employee works, the payroll records must contain:   Hours worked (regular and overtime)   Rate or rates of pay (regular/overtime)   How the employee is paid – by the hour, shift, day, week, commission, etc.   Pay at the piece rate must show what rates apply and the number of pieces at each rate   Employee’s gross and net wages   Itemized deductions   Itemized allowances and credits claimed by the employer, if any (tip, meal and lodging allowances  or credits)  For wage statements, employers also must:  Give each employee a wage statement or pay stub each payday that lists all of the above payroll data plus:   Employee’s name   Employer’s name, address and phone number   Dates covered by the payment  2. Give any employee who asks a written explanation of how they computed wages.   NYSDOL also provides example wage statements for agricultural employers. “New York State Department of Labor Form AL 447 is a blank wage statement. It contains all of the fields that employers of year-round or seasonal workers must provide to document each pay period to comply with the Wage Theft Prevention Act. New York State Department of Labor Form AL 446 is a sample of a completed wage statement for agricultural workers.” Of course, agricultural employers also must provide the LS309 or equivalent, which is the “Pay Notice and Acknowledgement for Farm Workers.” The pay notice must be provided in the employee’s primary language, at the time of hire for all new employees, and anytime that an employee’s rate of pay is reduced.   Agricultural employers know the value of research, much of the progress over the last hundred years in agricultural sciences is due to land grant universities engaging in applied research and bringing knowledge to farmers through cooperative extension. Research applies to managing people as well, unfortunately, most human resources research is in the context of large companies doing white collar work. Still, people are people, no matter what work they do. In this section, we will provide snapshots of relevant human resource research that farm employers can use. The Gallup organization does ongoing research with thousands of employers every year about employee engagement. They report that since 2020 the number of fully engaged employees in the U.S. has declined on average: from 36% in 2020, to 34% in 2021, and to 32% in 2022. In addition, 18% of employees were “actively disengaged” in 2022. This is important because fully engaged employees are more likely to perform well and remain on the job, while actively disengaged employees are likely to perform poorly and leave.   The Gallup article provides a number of tactics that employers can use to increase employee engagement, but I want to focus on one:   “The manager must now hold one meaningful conversation per week with each employee -- 15 to 30 minutes, about goals, customers, wellbeing and recognition. This is the activity that prevents employees from feeling disconnected from the organization. We find this single habit develops high-performance relationships more than any other single leadership activity.”  A meaningful conversation (15-30 minutes) between each employee and their manager or supervisor is necessary every week. This conversation can come all at once or it might come in 5-minute conversations every day, but it should add up to at least 15 to 30 minutes for every employee in every week. Farm supervisors are frequently surprised at this recommendation. Just do the math, if you supervise 10 employees, that means you should spend about 5 hours each week communicating with and coaching your employees (30 minutes x 10 employees = 5 hours/week).  Some supervisors ask: “What would we talk about with all that time?” Well, there are many things to discuss, some time should be relationship-building, just getting to know the employees and checking in about their wellbeing. Most of the time, however, should focus on the work: clarifying expectations, providing ongoing coaching, and providing specific performance feedback.   For more, check out our publication on providing feedback here: SCORE Feedback. We cover this and other supervisory topics in detail in our Agricultural Supervisory Leadership online courses.     Certificate Program in Supervisory Leadership Supervisors have a major impact both on employees’ daily work experiences and on the production performance of the farm, yet often they move into the role of supervisor with little management training or experience leading people. Richard Stup realized the need to help farm managers develop their management and leadership skills and set out to develop a first of its kind education program for the agriculture community. The Agricultural Supervisory Leadership (ASL) certificate program launched in January 2021 and three short years later, in January 2024, the sixth course was offered. Since the program began in January 2021, 221 people have collectively taken 418 ASL online courses. Instantly, there was interest for the courses to be delivered in Spanish and by the fall of 2023 the first Spanish ASL course was delivered.   The ASL certificate program consists of six courses: Transition to Supervisor, Organizing Work for High-Quality Results, Managing Performance, Staffing and Organizing Your Team, Employee Training and Development, and Ethics and Employment Regulations. Courses can be taken in any order and individuals who complete the requirements for all six courses receive the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Agricultural Supervisory Leadership certificate. The first two program certificates were awarded in February to Jeannette Kreher, Kreher Family Farms, and Julie Izzo Niedzwick, Stokoe Farms. Congratulations Jeannette and Julie! Nine additional participants will be eligible to receive the ASL certificate once they complete the current course.   Typically, four ASL courses are offered each year in January, March, June, and November so one could achieve the certificate in 18 months. Courses run six weeks and are delivered through asynchronous instruction composed of pre-recorded lessons, assigned reading, written exercises, forum discussion, and quizzes. This format allows participants to learn from their computer (or phone via the app) on their schedule and at their own pace. Each week throughout the course is a scheduled group session for participants to discuss topics relevant to the week’s lessons and activities. The weekly Zoom sessions are not required however many participants say this activity is the most valuable aspect of the course. Learn more about the ASL program and each of the courses in the series on the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development ASL page.   Is ASL Right for You?   ASL courses are appropriate for both new and experienced supervisors, as well as those preparing to become supervisors. Management experience ranges from a couple years to more than 20. Most participants work in New York however individuals from California, Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin have also participated. The asynchronous format has allowed participation from Belgium, Canada, Greece, Mongolia, and Sudan. Commodities represented include dairy, apple, poultry, fruit and vegetable, AgriTourism, greenhouse, landscape, conservation, vineyard. All members of the agricultural community are welcome!   ASL Participant and Recipient of the ASL Program Certificate, Jeannette Kreher Heberling Kreher Family Farms Director, Employee Experience Jeannette recently finished all six ASL courses and provided feedback on her experience: “It was great to take the course(s) with several of our team members and see their growth or discuss opportunities for them to use what they learned.” Congratulations, Jeannette! We would also like to congratulate Julie Niedzwick, Social Media and Marketing Director at Stokoe Farms, for completing all six-courses and receiving the six-course completion certificate. Upcoming course  ASL105 | Employee Development and Training: will be offered again this June. Registration opens in May!  Check our website periodically to stay in the know or subscribe to receive ASL emails. Spring Cleaning for Farm-provided Employee Housing With the changing of the seasons comes new optimism and motivation. In farm-provided employee housing it is an opportunity to evaluate existing systems and look for areas to improve engagement and strengthen the positive culture that benefits both the residents and the farm business.   Change your clocks, change your batteries. Smoke alarms are a critical part of fire safety, follow these recommendations to ensure they are operational:  If smoke alarms have standard batteries, replace once a year. The biannual changing of the clocks is a good way to schedule this critical step.  Smoke alarms with non-replaceable batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years from manufacture date (found on the label on the back of the alarm). If the label date is more than 10 years, or if the alarm chirps indicating the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm immediately.   All smoke alarms and carbon monoxide sensors should be checked monthly.  Always refer to manufacturer’s instructions.  This helpful bulletin, Fire Safety in Farm-provided Employee Housing, is available at the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development website.   Spring into a Farm-provided Employee Housing Evaluation Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development offers a non-regulatory and voluntary farm-provided employee housing evaluation designed to help you provide safe, comfortable housing that meets regulatory compliance. A Cornell specialist will visit your farm-provided employee housing facilities to complete a checklist identifying strengths and weaknesses and provide feedback and technical assistance to help you resolve any potential concerns.  Farm-provided employee housing evaluations help identify opportunities to promote a positive housing culture which can lead to:  More effective communication between managers and residents  An increased understanding of the expectations for living in the housing  Less maintenance and repair due to unclear expectations  A better appreciation of housing as part of the total compensation package  Attracting skilled workers and retaining them longer  To schedule a Farm-Provided Employee Housing Evaluation, contact Jay Canzonier, Extension Support Specialist, at jc3277@cornell.edu.   Grow with a New York State Registered Dairy Specialist Apprenticeship Are you searching for opportunities to develop your dairy farm workforce? Do you have employees hungry for new skills and career growth? The Dairy Specialist Apprenticeship is an adaptive workforce development strategy that may be the pathway you have been looking for to prepare your managers of tomorrow. The three-year program partners on-the-job training under the supervision of a mentor with off-farm instruction pinpointing the technical skills necessary to effectively manage in today’s quickly developing dairy industry.  Registered Dairy Specialist Apprenticeships benefit employers by:  Enabling the upskilling of employees from within, without losing production  Aiding as a recruitment tool to attract skilled workers from other trades  Developing a reputation for the farm business as being a high-quality employer  Ensuring career growth opportunities which promote employee retention  Qualifying for funding resources to offset training expenses  Registered Dairy Specialist Apprenticeships benefit employees by:  Providing a career development pathway without leaving the workforce  Teaching in demand skills through unique hands-on learning opportunities  Delivering a nationally recognized credential from New York State Department of Labor  Eliminating the need to incur student debt   The New York State Dairy Specialist Apprenticeship is supported through a partnership by the New York State Department of Labor, and the SUNY System. To learn more about how your farm business can grow from a Dairy Specialist Apprenticeship, contact Jay Canzonier, Extension Support Specialist, at Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development.   Liderazgo en Supervisión Agrícola  El año pasado el Desarrollo de la Fuerza Laboral Agrícola de Cornell lanzó su programa de Liderazgo en Supervisión Agrícola por primera vez en español. Han ofrecido el primer curso “Transición a supervisor” ya tres veces. Este curso es parte de una serie de seis cursos que, al completar los seis, el estudiante recibirá un certificado de Liderazgo en Supervisión Agrícola de Cornell. La instrucción incluye una combinación de conferencias pregrabadas, materiales para leer, ejercicios escritos, discusiones entre compañeros y sesiones de Zoom en vivo y cuestionarios.  Ya han tenido más de 80 participantes de diversas industrias agrícolas como granjas lecheras, de frutas y verduras, avícolas, ranchos de chivos y ovejas, y huertas orgánicas. Además de tener mucha diversidad en las distintas áreas en la agricultura, también los integrantes han venido de una variedad de lugares por todos los Estados Unidos: Nueva York, Vermont, Florida, Carolina del Norte, Colorado, California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Utah, Texas y hasta algunos participantes tomaron la clase desde sus ranchos en México. La mayoría de los estudiantes han trabajado por muchos años en la agricultura y han sido supervisores de sus respectivos oficios sin ningún entrenamiento en cómo ser líder. Pero después de completar este primer curso, los compañeros dijeron esto sobre el programa:  “La principal cosa que aprendí es acerca de la “Inteligencia cultural”. Creo que eso es la base para mejorar como supervisor. Mi principal reto es de seguir conociendo más de los muchachos, tratar de aprender sus dialectos, romper grupos y generar un solo equipo, como una vez me dijo mi patrón: “No hay equipo de día, de noche y los de los corrales; tienen que ser un solo equipo: el Equipo de la Lechería.” Me encantaría seguir participando de más cursos. Tengo muchas metas para mejorar. Una meta es de seguir capacitándome para poder ser mejor tanto como supervisor como una persona.” Supervisor de Evergreen Farms, Pennsylvania.   “Me encanto este curso porque me ha enseñado a trabajar con diferentes personas de cada país.” Encargado del parlo de ordeño de 8.000 cabras en Drumlin Dairy, Wisconsin.  ---- ASL102-SP empieza el 19 de junio y va hasta el 30 de julio 2024. Cada martes habrá una sesión de Zoom en vivo a las 12:00pm-1:00pm hora este. El resto del material se hace a la hora que le conviene para cada estudiante por medio de su teléfono o computadora. Para más información, haz un clic aquí: https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/liderazgo-en-supervision-agricola/   Para ver o compartir un video promocional: https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/Clases%20de%20Liderazgo%20de%20Cornell/1_9q9i97s5 lea por completo   TRANSLATED Agricultural Supervisory Leadership in Spanish  Last year Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development launched its Agricultural Supervisory Leadership program for the first time in Spanish. They have offered the first course “Transition to Supervisor” three times now. This is part of a six-course series that, upon completion of all six courses, the student will receive a Cornell Agricultural Supervisory Leadership certificate. Instruction includes a combination of pre-recorded lectures, reading materials, written exercises, peer discussion and live Zoom sessions, and quizzes.  The more than 80 participants so far have come from various agricultural industries such as dairy farms, fruit and vegetable farms, poultry, goat and sheep farms, and organic orchards. Complementing their diversity in vast areas of agriculture, members have also come from a variety of places throughout the United States: New York, Vermont, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Utah, Texas and even some participants took the class from their farm sites in Mexico. Most of the students have worked for many years in agriculture and have been supervisors of their respective trades without any formal leadership training. But after completing this first course, classmates had this to say about the program:  “The main thing I learned about is “Cultural Intelligence”. I think that is the basis for improving as a supervisor. My main challenge is to continue getting to know more about my teammates, try to learn their dialects, break up groups and create a single team. Like my boss once told me: “There are no day, night or corral teams; There is just one team: the Dairy Team.” I would love to continue participating in more courses. I have many goals I want to achieve. One goal is to continue training to be better both as a supervisor and as a person.” Supervisor from Evergreen Farms, Pennsylvania.  “I loved this course because it has taught me how to work with different people from many countries.” Leader in charge of the milking parlor on an 8,000-goat farm in Drumlin Dairy, Wisconsin.  ---- ASL102-SP starts June 19 and runs through July 30, 2024. Every Tuesday there will be a live Zoom session at 12:00pm-1:00pm Eastern Time. The rest of the material is done on the student’s phone or computer at a time that is convenient for them. For more information, click here: https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/liderazgo-en-supervision-agricola/    To view or share the promotional video: https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/Clases%20de%20Liderazgo%20de%20Cornell/1_9q9i97s5 Read in full here   This section will feature a recap of news you might have missed, reflecting on reports, activities, and events our team has engaged in, along with other exciting content. We also plan to showcase partner stories and articles in this segment. If you have any news, events, or opportunities that you’d like to share in our upcoming newsletter, please email Ag Workforce Quarterly Editor, Andrea Durmiaki, at cu-agworkforce@cornell.edu. Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development, Cornell Small Farms, and Dairy Foods Extension to host “Hiring Asylees into Agriculture and Food Manufacturing Jobs” webinar on April 5 New York City has experienced an influx of asylum seekers. These individuals represent a new pool of labor available to agricultural employers. Many come with work experience in agriculture and food manufacturing from their home country.  All are eager to find full-time employment. This webinar will share what we have learned about asylee skills and interests, services that the NYS Department of Labor is providing to employers and asylees authorized to work, and experiences of agricultural employers who have successfully integrated asylees and refugees into their workforces. Learn how to prepare to accept asylees as part of your labor pool. Feel free to share this information with your audience! Download the flyer here FRIDAY, APRIL 5 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Registration is required and can be accessed here   A competitive compensation package is essential for retaining high-quality employees in your farm business. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find accurate and up-to-date information about employee compensation. Participating in the 2024 FARM EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION BENCHMARK will give you the information you need to compare your compensation to other farm businesses and make better compensation plans. The process is easy and only takes about 10 minutes per employee. There is no cost to participate and farms who provide at least one usable employee entry will receive a report of the results and an invitation to attend a webinar discussion of the findings. All information that you enter will be kept confidential. Only aggregate data, with no way to identify farms or individuals, will be published or shared. Please participate in the 2024 Farm Employee Compensation Benchmark today! Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Andrea Durmiaki, Editor | Facebook | agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu Diversity and Inclusion are part of Cornell's heritage. 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