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| Author |
Message |
    
Bonita (Bonita)
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2001 - 7:19 am: |   |
I recently broke my leg very badly, and am now in a position where I need to hire some part-time help to keep the farm going. I'll be looking for someone to do stalls, turnout, groom, plus a little yard work and gardening, etc., etc. - pretty much whatever I'd be doing if I wasn't incapacitated.
While my accountant can set me up as far as payroll is concerned, I am having some difficulty finding out how I go about obtaining Workmen's Compensation insurance. Believe it or not, the equine insurance company I have been thinking of using for my farm liability coverage doesn't handle this, nor do they know where I can obtain it.
Does anyone know how/where I would get info re: this? Also - as this will be the first time I'll be looking for a farm employee, any other helpful hints would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Bonnie |
Dawn Friesen (Dartanyn)
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2001 - 10:25 am: | |
Bonita, I can't tell what area you are from. In California worker's comp coverage can be added to most homeowner policies for either a "inservant" (lives at the premises) or outservant basis. Since the person you are looking for would be "replacing you", it seems that they would fit in that category of individual. You can call your carrier and see, typically the outservant coverage is less too. Just a suggestion, your insurance laws might be different where you are. Dawn  |
barbara (Oscarvv)
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2001 - 12:29 pm: | |
Bonnie
I am so sorry to hear of your broken leg. L
I don't have any advice for the workmens comp, just wanted to say I hope you are feeling better soon. 
~Barbara
formerly in VA |
Cheryl Anderson (Canderso)
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2001 - 6:30 pm: | |
Bonita,
If you are in Canada (and all the information here is based on you being in Canada), Worker's comp is a provincially administered program - go onto your province's web site and you should find the necessary information.
Because of the temporary nature of the employment, rather than having an 'employee' you might want to bring in someone on contract. Depending on where you are, this might greatly simplify the obligations on your part - for example it would mean you would not have to withhold taxes or issue T4s. (But it won't eliminate your need to have worker's comp insurance.) Talk to your accountant about this.
Hope your leg heals soon...
Cheers,
Cheryl |
Bonita (Bonita)
| | Posted on Saturday, May 19, 2001 - 12:07 pm: | |
Thanks for all the info guys! I am located in Virginia, USA, and am currently awaiting a callback from my homeowner's insurance agent re: Workmen's Comp.
It is a shame that we have become such a litigation-minded society. So many of my non-horsey friends have asked why I just can't hire a high school or college student to do the work "off the books". Little do they realize the great possibilty of someone getting their foot stepped on or something by one of my horses, and my literally "losing the farm"! Actually, I am hoping that if I find the right person, I may make it a permanent part-time position, as I was already beginning to feel spread pretty thin by everything I have going on here. (Last year's baby turning into spoiled brat; plus rebreeding mom; plus recently purchased new pregnant broodmare with foal at side due to be trailered in asap; plus fencing; plus farm renovation - ad infinitum, aaaack!)
Thanks again for the info, (& thank you Barbara for your best wishes - believe it or not, I broke my leg AND tore every single ligament in my knee simply by slipping in the mud while turning on the water faucet for my dear little equines! Hope you are enjoying Florida - do you like it better than Virginia so far?)
Please feel free to add any helpful hints, ideas, or experiences re: hiring farm help!
Bonnie |
Bonita
Member
Username: Bonita
Post Number: 507
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 8:38 am: | |
So - here I am again, & still handicapped. Yes, my leg did eventually heal, but I was supposed to ultimately have 4 surgeries to try & repair it, & the first 2 were so awful, that I have put off the remaining 2 indefinitely - especially since I was told that these remaining 2 could make things worse (I mean, at least I'm walking now. . .) or make no improvement on my condition.
As far as the "help" issue, I ended up doing all the barn work myself - ON CRUTCHES. Yes, it DID take a long time - like 1-2 hours per stall long - but I did it. Think pushing a wheelbarrow about 12", then catching up on crutches, pushing again, catching up, etc., etc., etc. I just had so many medical bills to pay (even with decent insurance, micro-surgery costs a bundle), that when the insurance quotes I received re: Workers Compensation were all well over $1,000/annual, payable up front in full, I simply couldn't afford it. As a plus, I now have a barn full of horses who are used to being turned out by someone on crutches. . . .
So how do small barn owners who have help do it? I find it hard to believe that they all spend up to $2,000/year for their part-time stall-mucking help. Or am I just out-of-the-loop? Or perhaps too legal-minded?
Since I still definitely need/would-love some help around here, a friend suggested I go hire one or two of the Mexican (& probable illegal alien) gents who gather in one of our local parking lots in the early morning hours waiting for someone to drive up & offer them work. But then again, what the heck happens if someone gets hurt. Even if I don't have them handling the horses, someone's back could go out, someone could have a heart attack, ad infinitum.
I am at a complete loss here. And again, I'm not trying to cheat anyone. Would be more than willing to pay someone $10+/hour at least, just to help me, & wouldn't be asking anyone to do anything I wouldn't do myself if I could. Any thoughts? |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 10860
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 11:36 am: | |
By paying them as "contract labor" or "fee for service" you avoid many of the legal entanglements Bonita. Up to 600$ there are no responsibilities after that you have to issue a 1099 form. Be sure to check with a local accountant / attorney for local laws that may apply to such labor.
DrO |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: Mrose
Post Number: 330
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2004 - 1:29 pm: | |
I have done as Dr. O suggests with college kids, who seems to have less transportations problems and more responsibility than h.s. kids.
Also, here in UT and I thought nationwide, homeowner's ins. covers someone hurt on your property...tho' in some states you may need a special liability clause for the horses as they are considered a "hazardous inticement" or some such thing.
My big problem is just finding someone reliable and willing to work. I had a young Mexican couple for several yrs. when in Calif. They were great. When we moved we had a young woman excellent
in every way-except when a young man was in the picture! We had spent several thousand $ getting ready to go to a national show and two days before we were to leave, she bailed on us with no notice. Her b.f. didn't want her to go!!
I've had people that lived on the property and still couldn't manage to get up and feed before 10 a.m. (by when I had the work done) People that don't show up; that can't remember to shut gates (letting out stallions twice!) That forget to check the water, etc., etc.,
You that have good help - where did you find them? How much do you pay? I was paying $1000/mo.plus a free place to live with all utilities paid, and health insurance. Also, bought work boots, and various other odds and ends. I was paying the kids $7/hr. |
Fran Cilella
Member
Username: Canter
Post Number: 72
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2004 - 3:58 pm: | |
One word of caution about immigrant help. Be sure that they are legal--I think that you yourself could get into trouble with the INS if you are cought with illegals working for you. (I live in MI where there are a lot of migrant workers and I seem to re-call a news story several years back where some local farmers got into trouble because their workers were not in the country legally).
A friend of mine found excellent help in the form of an older gentleman who had retired from his career but was looking for something to keep him busy. He is the most reliable barn help I have ever come across. My friend loves him for his work ethic and because he is simply the nicest guy you'd ever want to be around. Does a great job and really enjoys the horses. She found him by putting an ad in the paper. Other than that, I have no idea how you'd go about finding such a gem... |
Jordana Meisner
Member
Username: Presario
Post Number: 574
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 27, 2004 - 10:50 am: | |
Going with what Fran said about finding a retired person who just wants something to do - what about putting an ad in an Agricultural Review type paper? That is what we have here, surely there is something similar in your area? Perhaps contact your county extension agency and see what suggestions they might have? |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: Mrose
Post Number: 333
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 27, 2004 - 11:05 pm: | |
I am also putting notices up at the local feed stores/tack stores. |
