Precise Measurements and Efficiency Incentives Weight is a tangible and objective measure of output. It's easy to quantify and verify, reducing the potential for disputes between workers and employers over the amount of work completed. There will be no more arguments regarding whether a fruit picker’s bin is deemed as “full” or not. In that case, they would simply be compensated for the weight of the fruit that they picked. Additionally, when someone is paying employees by weight the employees ...

Being Compliant with Laws and Regulations Many countries have strict regulations regarding food safety, labeling, and traceability. Traceability software such as StockTrak or FairPick helps farmers maintain accurate records and easily provide the necessary information to meet regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of fines or legal issues. By using barcodes, you now can track a product from the location it was picked to the store it was sold at. Being able to track a crop from packing house...

Increase your Time Management and Data Accuracy As we all know, using paper timecards to record employee hours and piece rates is a process that is both tedious and error prone. Manual timecard management is time-consuming for both employees and HR staff. Counting punches, calculating hours, verifying data, and correcting errors takes up valuable time that could be better spent on other tasks. Additionally, manual data entry is prone to human error: incorrect clock-in/out times, incorrect calc...

There are a few different ways to pay harvest workers, and the best way will depend on several factors, such as the type of crop being harvested, the location of the farm, and the size of the farm. There are three options that seem to work the best. Paying by piece, paying by hour, or a combination of both. Is it Paying Piece Wage? First, we’ll dive into paying by piece, which is the driving force for some of our labor tracking solutions such as FairPick and FairTrak. This can be a good way to...

Farming for Love? In January, I trotted from one ag trade show to another. My final outing in January was the Pacific Agriculture show in Abbotsford, British Columbia. While I was behind the booth waiting to greet customers old and new, a rather attractive young woman approached my booth – what a surprise! She then asked if I was single, and now I knew we were trending in the right direction. I swiftly answered “yes,” after which, she handed me a pamphlet about a new Canadian reality TV show fo...

Overtime Pay New overtime thresholds for agricultural workers will go into effect on January 1, 2023. In Washington, employers must pay overtime to agricultural workers who work more than 48 hours in a work week. Oregon’s threshold is a little higher – employers will have to pay overtime when their employees work more than 55 hours in a week. In California, overtime pay kicks in if an employee works more than 8 hours in one day. The weekly threshold is 40 hours per week. California overtime for...

Stay Prepared, Stay Safe With frigid temperatures in the forecasts, we all need to ensure that we are prepared for what is to come. Many local passes now require chains for vehicles, and some may even close as the weather system becomes more severe. Ensuring that your vehicle has proper snow tires, chains, and reliability is crucial for traveling in the months to come. In addition to your car being prepared, make sure that you are prepared. From various personal endeavors (not always the smarte...

Preparing Your Units for Winter As winter quickly approaches, it is crucial to prepare your 2nd Sight units for the off season. When your harvest is finished, 2nd Sight recommends the following for the FairPick:• Charge your machines• Power them off completely• Leave them unplugged from the charger• Close and latch the plastic cover over the unit’s display box. • Do not leave any forms of excessive weight on the scales when they are not in use. If you do not use FairTrak handhelds for an exten...

Another La Nina Inbound After a year of extreme highs and lows, drought, and late freezes, we now may be facing our third straight La Niña winter. Experts predict a 91% chance that a La Niña weather front will start this November. The odds of this weather settling in for the remainder of the winter (January-March) is much lower at 54%, but the odds still favor cold and snow to the Northwest according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. It seems to me that finishing out 2022 with these severe w...

Investment Versus Purchase In business, saving money is important. In the past two years, inflation has been unprecedented, making the cost of business for some borderline unbearable. How do you combat these costs? Investing in something that will save you money by reducing labor costs. Many people confuse an investment a purchase. Yes, an investment is a purchase, but it is a purchase made with the expectation that the purchase will make profit for you. Investing in automation, such as that o...