To help avoid potentially expensive pitfalls, BPEX is holding workshops to help pig producers understand employment law, with the next one planned for February 27 in Bury St Edmunds.
The workshops will include details on the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board, contracts of employment, pay and holiday entitlements and will be led by an employment-relations specialist from ACAS.
“Understanding the ins and outs of employment law is clearly important to all pig businesses, and BPEX has found there is strong demand for information and advice on it,” BPEX skills manager Samantha Bowsher said.
“Producers at the first workshop in the south were very positive and all went away with more confidence to make changes in this area of their business – these included improving contracts of employment, looking at holiday requirements and improving communication with staff.
“It may be difficult for many producers to keep up-to-date with employment issues and current legal obligations so it is proving beneficial to provide a forum in which to get the latest information and discuss specific queries in this often complex area.”
If producers in other regions are interested in an employment law workshop, more can be arranged by the BPEX knowledge transfer team. Contact details for your local area are available at: www.bpex.org.uk/2ts/contact.aspx