- The packhouse is busy all year round, so there is reliable full-time employment for those that want it.
- Payment is by the hour but with bonus based on packing speed, but the National Minimum Wage is guaranteed to all.
- All employees from all countries are on the same rate scale of pay.
- Minimum recommended age is 18yr old due to legal restrictions on working hours, depending on if you are still at school etc.
- The Farm is more seasonal and harvest staff are needed from June to September, with full time work available for a smaller number of people.
- All picking is ‘piece-work’ rates, so opportunities to earn more than the minimum wage, but the National Minimum Wage is guaranteed to all.
- All employees from all countries and all ages are paid the same rates of pay, so if you are under 23yrs old, you have same rates of pay as those of 24rs and older when picking on ‘piece-rate’
- Minimum recommended age is 18yr old due to legal restrictions on hours depending if still at school etc., but we will still consider you if 16 or 17yrs old, but employment will come with some legal restrictions.
- We have a mixture of crops grown under tunnels as well as outside to protect the fruit from the weather and also to spread out the harvest. If it rains, we therefore have work picking under cover.
- Some accommodation is available in ‘mobile homes’ for seasonal harvest workers.
- 28 days holiday per annum for all, with entitlement from 1st day of employment e.g. for someone working 5 days per week, they would accrue 1 full days holiday for each 9.3 days worked.
- Wages paid weekly into bank account (this can be paid cash for first two weeks if bank account is not set up at the start of employment)
- All necessary training will be given, with a comprehensive induction and Q&A session with one of your Managers or Supervisors before commencing any work.
- Above minimum wages paid from the start, which increases after 3 months and again at 12 months
- Fixed days off each week and no rolling shifts, so you can plan ahead.
- Most people do 5 days per week, with average of 40hrs worked each week, but there are plenty of opportunities for those that wish to do more hours.
- Due to the seasonal nature of some of the work (both inside the packhouse and on the farm) we will often ask you to help finish the field harvested or Job being packed before going home, but we do all that we can to maintain the 40hr average working week as an average over a rolling 12 week period.
- At busy times for those working 5 days per week, there is an option to work a 6th day, but to be very clear this is an option and not a requirement.
- ‘Extra time’ is available most weeks of the year for those that wish to do a few more hours, both on the farm and in the packhouse.
- Part time work (3 or 4 days per week) is sometimes available.
- We have a “mums” group in the packhouse that work roughly 9am-3pm in line with needs to collect children from school. The number in this group is limited due to the hours of operation and the timing of orders received from our customers, but we try to be flexible with those who have children to pick up and drop off at school.
- Opportunities for quick career progression, together with improved wages.
- Free onsite parking.
- Free WIFI on site.
- Free Internet Café with desktop PC’s as well as WIFI
- Automatic pension scheme enrolment after 3 months work (you can also opt out of this at any time)
- We have a good working atmosphere.
- Free use of onsite gym
- Subsidised canteen on site, serving hot food all day, together with various vending machines for snacks, hot and cold drinks in the evening when canteen servery is closed. No cash required for canteen, any purchases are deducted from wages weekly. Cashless payment options on hot drinks vending machine.
- Modern packhouse with modern equipment and good staff facilities.
- Please do NOT apply for a job if you do not have the legal right to work in the UK (e.g. UK National or ‘pre-settled status‘ or ‘settled status’, or ‘indefinite leave to remain’ or ‘permanent Residency’ statuses).
- We cannot assist directly with Visa applications other than to give some general advice. At the current time, there is no realistic possibility of obtaining a visa to work on a farm or a packhouse in the UK, except through the SAWS scheme. At the present time, the UK Government has not given any details of the SAWS scheme for 2022, so this is very uncertain at the time of writing in July 2021. To check if you are eligible to apply for pre-settled status then see https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/applying-for-settled-status . For most people, the deadline to apply was 30th June 2021 but there are some exceptions.
- There is a 570,000 backlog of applications in the system as at 9th July 2021, with people saying that they have wated a couple of months and no reply yet. If you have applied but await a response, then please still apply for work as we can still employ you whilst you wait for the result.
- The site has numerous Covid protocols in place including automatic temperature screening equipment, both where packhouse staff enter the packhouse and also where farm staff report for work each morning.
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