Farmworker

Job duties

Original text, as filed with the Department of Labor.

Crops/Commodities: Basil, Mint, Thyme, Sage, Dill and Bibb Lettuce.
Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Primary Job Duties: Perform manual labor to plant, transplant, cultivate, harvest, and pack a variety of herbs and lettuce. Prepare growing media for seeding. Propagate plants, cuttings, and seedlings. Fill drums with bags of fertilizer, remove weeds, and prune crops. Assemble boxes; tag trays; replace plugs and emitters for irrigation as needed. Inspect plants to assess quality and to detect the presence of insects or disease. Inform supervisors of crop health and progress. Harvest lettuce and herbs as instructed, either placing each plant into a separate bag or clamshell, or cutting large bunches of herbs to be stored in refrigeration and packed in clamshells at a later time. Place harvested product into boxes, label boxes with appropriate PTI labels for traceability, and transfer the boxes to their designated storage area(s). Move, load and unload plants, boxes and materials. Clean and sanitize work areas, harvest areas, floors, growing channels, and nursery flats, daily. Transplant over 20,000 plants per week, individually, by hand, from the nursery into the open greenhouse areas after the channels are cleaned and sanitized. Clean and maintain grounds and greenhouses including picking up trash, and sweeping floors, weekly.

Secondary duties (performed on less than half of the workdays in the contract period):
Drive vehicles to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers on or off the farm.

Assist with and adhere to the Food Safety Plan and Good Agricultural Practices policies and procedures. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break.


TERMINATION. Prior to any termination for cause, employer evaluates workers' performance of required tasks and compliance with Work Rules and other employer policies. Employer may terminate a worker for cause if the worker's performance consistently and/or substantially fails to satisfy the employer's reasonable expectations (in accordance with the criteria set forth herein), or otherwise engages in serious or egregious misconduct that endangers health, safety, or property. In assessing whether workers' performance meets reasonable expectations, employer evaluates, among other reasonable criteria, whether the worker: (1) has adequately complied with the Work Rules and any other policies or procedures; (2) has complied with all health and safety guidelines, including the use of tools or equipment in accordance with best practices to protect the employer's property, crops, and in a manner that avoids injury or damage; (3) has treated company property (tools, equipment, crops, fixtures, etc.

Requirements

Two months of farmwork experience is required. Workers will be required to work on their feet for long periods of time, walk, bend, reach, lift, carry and load up to 50 lbs., and push/pull carts weighing up to 250 lbs. Use of repetitive hand and finger movements. Work in inclement weather including hot, cold, wet and/or humid conditions. Employer is a drug-free workplace. Drug testing is conducted post-hire at the employer's expense and is not part of the interview process.

Benefits and conditions