As employers gear up for busloads of H-2A’s to arrive in 2021, we share learnings and experiences from two H-2A employers, Amalia Zimmerman-Lommel, Director of Social Responsibility Good Farms, and Matt Rogers, General Manager and Co-Founder at AgSocio.
Read MoreWe had a great time connecting with employers at the Ag Labor Forum. If you missed it, here’s the recording of our Live session where we demoed our tools and answer some great questions.
Read MoreThe newest version of the ID Scanner app delivers 5 major improvements to the HR Employee Onboarding experience.
All-in-one onboarding experience from the app.
2 new documents supported: Employment Authorization Card (EAD) & State ID.
Simplified Rehire process.
Automatic app updates.
Sizable behind the scenes updates (for faster performance).
Many of our customers using the Ganaz Hiring Tool use payroll systems that require different processes to import employee data for New Hires vs Rehires (people already on their Payroll System). Now you will see a radio button at the top of the Hiring page where you can select whether this is a brand new hire or someone who has worked for the company in the past and already has a record on your Payroll System.
Read MoreWhile we’re finally seeing a flattening of the curve in the general population in the US, the reports of outbreaks among field and plant workers seem to be on the rise. In Mexico, where the virus arrived later than in the US, the number of newly infected people is still growing rapidly.
All of this coincides with the start of the harvest season in many crops in the US and Mexico, and the corresponding movement of people to pick those crops. H2As from Central Mexico are headed to California and Washington. Workers from Southern Mexico are headed to Northern Mexico for the grape harvest.
Read MoreYou might recognize Matt Roger’s name from his days as a Global Produce Coordinator at Whole Foods Market. Two years ago he traded that powerful job for the adventure of building a business in agriculture. He wanted to do farm labor contracting the right way. AgSocio’s stated purpose is to create value for farmers, farm workers, and the broader food industry by building a more just, safe, professional, and competitive agricultural labor employment system.
This week, Matt sent out a great newsletter to his stakeholders outlining their initial steps responding to the challenges that COVID-19 is presenting and how they’re working to keep their people healthy.
Read MoreTogether we are experiencing truly trying times as the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect our communities and businesses. The processing of H2A visas is still uncertain and this might further affect agricultural companies with labor shortages. In these difficult times, it’s truly important that our food system stays strong. To address the current challenges, communication is key.
Read More$3.1B is lost each year as farms are unable to plant, harvest or process their crops due to the labor shortage. Just about every grower I know has a heartbreaking story of having to leave their crops unpicked. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would
Allow farmworkers to seek legal status in the US
Make the H2A program more flexible
Require e-verify (though thankfully only after providing legal status to existing workers)
Does this sound familiar? The season is about to start and you need to onboard over 50+ employees every day. The process is long and exhausting.
Read MoreGanaz is taking Employee surveys to the next level. Now you can compare how your workforce survey results measure up to the average of all the companies who sign up for Industry Benchmarking with Ganaz.
Read MoreDo you want to start doing workforce surveys but don't know where to start? Here are 10 useful tips to get you started.
Read MoreWhat is the secret sauce to workforce engagement in agriculture? Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce tell us how they use increased two-way communication to motivate and engage their farm workers.
Read MoreThe Ag industry has one of the highest turnover rates. That's why understanding the attitudes, challenges and feelings of farm workers is essential to your business.
Read MoreProduce may move to a location where it seems like there’s plentiful labor and within a matter of a few years there’s a lot of competition for labor and it becomes more scarce. So we’re trying to figure out how to attract and retain employees, and one of the best ways to do that…
Read MoreTwo Driscoll’s Executives, Brian McElroy, the VP of Global Ethics and Standards, and Kelley Bell, VP of Social and Environmental Impact, took some time to talk about the current labor dynamic in agriculture and the associated opportunities and challenges for the industry.
Read MoreIn the wake of the failed Senate attempts, President Trump is now backing U.S. House Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s solution which mandates e-verify and overhauls the H2A program. Goodlatte’s bill addresses DACA, funds border security, ends chain migration, ends the visa lottery, and replaces the H2A program with the new H2C program.
Read MoreKristin Snapp of Domex Superfresh Growers has orchard work in her blood. She was just eleven years old when her dad told her to drive his truck....without any instructions other than to keep it out of the Roza Canal. At the age of twelve her first job was pruning fireblight out of a block of baby pear trees. The trees are no longer alive, but Kristin went on to have a big impact on the apple industry in eastern Washington, including serving as the Chair of the Government Affairs Committee of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.
Read MoreAs the #MeToo movement continues to spread and more survivors give voice to their experiences with sexual harassment, everyone from movie executives to farm owners are asking: How can we prevent this from happening in the future?
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