Finding time to keep time
Decrease work disputes
Farmers need to keep good time records for employees to ensure they are getting at least the minimum wage, HR adviser at CooperAitken Ltd accountants John Brosnan says.
‘‘Good record keeping on timesheets will also ensure good records regarding annual leave, sick leave, rostered days off and minimise disputes over these matters – which is all good news for rural employment,’’ he said.
There had been uncertainty earlier this year because there had been rumours that the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) were going to treat an accommodation allowance as a part of salary/wages differently from how IRD have traditionally viewed it.
‘‘This created a lot of uncertainty for months and many employers were signing up new staff for the 2014/15 season unsure of exactly how to calculate the minimum wage.
Thankfully MBIE reached a decision in May and hopefully this has been well communicated out to the rural community now.’’
Minimum wage calculations continue to include accommodation allowances and were based on the total hours worked on either a weekly or fortnightly pay cycle.
Brosnan had a simple formula for employers seeking to work out if their employees were earning above minimum wage during calving and mating.
Using the formula would show the employee if he had to pay the employee a few more hours to ensure the employee was getting the minimum wage per hour, he said.
Keeping good time sheets were essential if farmers wanted to use the formula.