Worker's well-being

The adoption of sound business practices for worker’ well-being is essential to a farm’s success over time. See which practices could help you increase productivity, improve farm safety and reduce employee turnover on your farm.

Effective management can keep employees satisfied, engaged and committed to their work. But the real benefits go far beyond a happy workforce: good people-management skills can have a dramatic impact on your business results. Good management can save you money by increasing productivity, improving safety and reducing turnover.


In order to ensure that employees fully understand the working conditions and avoid disputes, provide them with a formal and written contract. When hiring or contracting a new employee (including temporary workers and family labour), make sure to:



  • provide him/her with an agreement in his/her own language and listing his/her and your legal rights and obligations and the terms of employment

  • read the document with the employee

  • sign it together

  • keep a record of the signed copy

Priority practice
Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


By developing an employee handbook for your business, you will ensure that employees understand what is expected of them and that managers and supervisors are fair and consistent in their approaches.

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees employees the right to good faith negotiation and requires that all parties meet and engage in meaningful dialogue. Employees should be able to establish and effectively manage employee associations and should not be hindered in their participation. This type of dialogue will help ensure that working conditions are satisfactory for both parties.

Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


Most family farm businesses have a loose organizational structure. In many cases a loose structure works well, but as operations become larger and more complex, problems can occur. The standard mistake is to have too many bosses.
An organization chart helps you to set up your business so that it is clear who reports to whom.
No two farm businesses are organized identically. However, certain principles apply to any organization. The keys to effective organizing include:



  • proper planning of the organization, so that managers and supervisors have clear areas of responsibility

  • clear relationships among the people in the organization

  • delegation of authority

  • clear limits of authority

  • a structure that is simple to understand and yet covers all operations and activities

Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Profitability
  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


Each employee should be evaluated periodically (at least annually). This will benefit both the employer and the employee. The employer should know if the employee is meeting the requirements outlined in the job description, and the employee should know where he/she stands relative to the employer’s expectations.

Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Profitability
  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being

While agricultural production involves long workdays and most farm workers are not covered by labour standards, too many working hours per week can affect employee welfare.


The rules on the maximum number of hours of work per day and per week, daily and weekly rest periods and eating periods do not apply to most farm workers. However, it is important to avoid extended working hours (over 48 hours per week). When extended hours are required, make sure that:



  • overtime only occurs for limited periods of time (e.g. peak harvest, planting)

  • overtime conditions are negotiated and agreed upon

  • the overtime does not lead to a work week of over 60 hours

Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being

Federal and provincial legislation require minimum terms and conditions for employee compensation and benefits. Meeting your legal responsibilities as an employer protects you and your business from costly legal disputes and ensures employee wellbeing and fairness. In addition, competitive wages and benefit packages will help you attract quality employees, retain them and motivate them to deliver good work.


Workers have the legitimate expectation of fair wages for their efforts and the energy they invest in their work. When required by law, salaries must not be below minimum wage. If possible, salaries should be competitive as compared to the sectoral average.

Priority practice

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being


Regardless of performance or skills acquisition, salaries should be adjusted based on inflation in order to preserve your employees’ purchasing power. The inflation rate usually fluctuates around the 2% target set by the Bank of Canada.

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being


Monetized or in-kind benefits (e.g. bonuses for statutory holidays, insurance schemes and pension plan contributions) may be offered to workers in addition to their salaries.

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being

Farm workers should benefit from safe and secure work conditions and have access to all the resources required to prevent incidents that could compromise their physical or psychological health. This theme refers to all activities to promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being for workers in all occupations by preventing departures due to health concerns, controlling risks and adapting tasks to people and vice-versa.


Risk management is an integral part of good management practices and an important step in protecting your employees and your business and complying with the law. It is an interactive process consisting of steps which, when undertaken in sequence, enable continuous improvement in decision-making.
They help to:



  • create awareness of hazards and risks

  • identify the individuals at risk (e.g. employees, visitors, contractors, the public) and the level of risk

  • ensure the farm’s compliance with occupational health and safety regulations

  • demonstrate due diligence

  • determine the control measures that are required and if current measures are adequate

  • prevent operational losses due to injury, illness, lost production or equipment or property damage

Priority practice

Potential benefits:

  • Business risk
  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


Personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn by a worker to minimize exposure to specific occupational hazards and includes respirators, gloves, aprons, fall protection, full body suits and head, eye and foot protection. PPE is essential to maintain a safe and healthy work environment.

Priority practice
Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Business risk
  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


Farms are often located in remote areas, and help can often take a long time to arrive. Quick response is critical. Knowing what to do in a medical emergency could help increase a person’s chance of survival in the case of a serious injury. All employees should follow first-aid training.

Priority practice
Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Business risk
  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


In an emergency, a fast and coordinated response can lessen the impact of an injury and may even save lives. In preparation for an emergency situation, all employees should receive and understand clear emergency procedures and instructions.

Priority practice
Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Business risk
  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being


Farmers must ensure that all of their employees are skilled and properly trained, especially when high-risk tasks are involved.

Priority practice
Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Business risk
  • Workers's well-being
  • Farmer's well-being

Working conditions of school-age workers must comply with legal requirements and positively contribute to their development.


In Canada, the provincial, territorial and federal governments regulate the employment of children and youth. Generally, children and youth under the age of 18 may work as long as the activities do not negatively impact their health, welfare or safety or interfere with their school attendance. Most provinces do not allow children under the age of 14 to work, except in special cases.

Priority practice
Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Business risk
  • Workers's well-being

The increasing number of temporary foreign workers in agriculture is giving rise to a new issue on Canadian dairy farms: integration. Beyond contractual agreements and working conditions, you can contribute to the quality of life of temporary foreign workers by providing them with a safe and respectful working environment.


In order to avoid conflict and make sure everyone's expectations are adequately communicated, have at least one regular staff member who speaks the language spoken by the temporary foreign workers on the farm.

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being


Providing temporary foreign workers with means of transportation will give them the opportunity to be more independent during their time off for grocery shopping and other personal activities. It can also facilitate their integration within the community.

Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Good neighbourliness
  • Workers's well-being


Employees should have access to clean sanitation and proper installations to store and prepare meals. If you are hosting employees, their accommodations should be clean, safe and affordable.

Potential benefits:

  • Workers's well-being

Creating a work-life balance is a particular challenge in agriculture in general and on dairy farms in particular. Of course, living and working at the same place has its advantages but can also become problematic in times of stress or when the farm declines. More so than in most professions, farmers and their households must find a work-life balance to maintain their health and quality of life.


Taking time off is not an easy thing to do on a dairy farm but it remains essential for you and your family to ensure a healthy work-life balance, fight stress and be more productive. Being able to go on holidays or weekends off is part of a healthy lifestyle on a dairy farm.

Potential benefits:

  • Profitability
  • Farmer's well-being


Farm management can be stressful. Unfortunately, too many farmers experience mental and physical health issues caused by too much work and solitude. Managing stress and striving for a work-life balance by adopting a healthy lifestyle and an active social life should always be a priority. Several resources are available to farmers to help them achieve a sound balance for a sustainable lifestyle on the farm.

Easy to implement

Potential benefits:

  • Profitability
  • Farmer's well-being