Sunday, April 28, 2019

The Conditions Of Hiring H2A Workers

By Gregory Walker


The agricultural sector has adopted improved mechanisms of operating. Nowadays, farmers are utilizing machines and automated equipment at work. However, there are still many sectors that are labor intensive and not many people are willing to work on such areas. With the prospect of crops rotting in the fields, producers have turned to the hiring of H2A workers to meet these labor needs. This kind of workers does their work on a seasonal basis. They may be migrants or non-immigrants whose aim is to perform the labor in agriculture for a specific period. The employer has the sole responsibility of his or her employees. They must protect the employees considering their vulnerability. Here are some of the requirements of the employers.

Disclosure is a mandatory aspect when working with these laborers. Hence, a proprietor should disclose information like the number of wages, the working hours and the conditions. All these details should be documented in a language understandable to the employee. The deductions and benefits should as well be included in the agreement.

Wages are essential elements of this program. An employer must ensure that they pay their employees the full amount as indicated in their contract. The payment should be made twice a month so that workers can support themselves. A statement of the earnings is also necessary since it will disclose any additional payment or deductions. In case they cannot pay the amount, a seventy-five percent payment is recommended.

Housing is another condition that employers must comply with. An employee who does not go back to their home after the day must be provided with a safe and adequate place to stay. This is a requirement that a boss must meet. If they prefer staying in the house belonging to their boss, the employer is mandated to provide a meal three times a day or offer enough kitchen amenities.

Employers must cover the total transportation cost for their employees. If a worker bears their expenses from their country or job site, their employer should reimburse the charges after the laborer has completed fifty percent of the work assigned. Again, the boss will cover the cost of traveling back home or to another worksite.

It is the role of an employer to protect their working personnel all the time. This means that they must understand their vulnerability when working on their premise. To ensure employees are protected, the authority has made a rule that one cannot hire other employees before sixty days are complete after sacking their previous ones. They are also required to retain any qualified worker who applies for a position before fifty percent of the work is done.

Insurance is a paramount and compulsory element when it comes to hiring this kind of employees. Compensation insurance must be available and laborers ought to have all the necessary tools, protective equipment, and supplies without additional charges. Employers must not charge the laborers any application and recruitment fees.

It becomes imperative to employ H2A laborers considering the need for manual labor in the agricultural sector. However, an individual must be able to meet all the legal condition put in place to govern the employment of these workers. As such, one must gather vast knowledge about the process to confirm that they comply with the regulations set by the governing body.




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