Labor

COVID-19 Labor Resources

• Paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
• U.S. Department of Labor Acts to Help American Workers And Employers During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC)
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
• Determining Your FFCRA Eligibility
• Agriculture Compliance Assistance Toolkit

• Labor Department Offers Guidance On Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Effective As Of April 1
• An Employer’s Step-By-Step Guide To COVID-19-Related Tax Credits For Paid Leave
• CDC’s Updated Return-To-Work Standards May Be Helpful To Businesses 
• Top 10 Things Employers Need To Know About DOL’s New COVID-19 Rules
  Employer FAQs On Paycheck Protection Loans
• CDC Significantly Relaxes Essential Worker Return-To-Work Standards After COVID-19 Exposure
• South Carolina Provides New Unemployment Insurance Rules For Employers
• CDC and U.S. Dept. of Labor release interim guidance for agricultural employers (June 5, 2020)
• South Carolina Employers Receive Guidance For Responding To COVID-19 Scenarios (July 7, 2020)

• Department of Labor FAQ and H-2A
• U.S. Dept. of Labor, OFLC Agency Q&A about H-2A and H-1B
• Memo on Temporary USCIS Rules for the H-2A Program
• USDA: Potential Housing Resources for Seasonal Agricultural Labor

• Final Draft Rules for the Payroll Protection Program (SBA) 7(a) created by the CARES Act
• COVID-19 Related Legislation: Labor, Families First Act, CARES Act
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers
• H.R. 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Paid Leave Provisions, Including Technical Corrections

• Interim Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor for Agriculture Workers and Employers
• IRS FAQ on Sick Leave for COVID Purposes
• Quick Benefits Tips Poster
• COVID-19: Where can agricultural employers go to stay current on the infectious disease caused by novel coronavirus
• CDC guidance on implementing safety practices for critical infrastructure workers who may have been exposed to COVID-19
• CDC Recommended Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan
• IRS FAQ: Deferral of Employment Tax deposits and Payments through December 31, 2020 updated FAQ
• COVID-19 signs that can be used by farm employers, produced by University of Florida and others

Labor in the News

• U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has debarred Reyes Quality Berry Farm LLC – based in Poulan, Georgia for violating guest worker visa requirements (June 15, 2020)

General Resources

• USDA ERS - Farm Labor Information Page
• US Dept. of Labor - Wage and Hour Division Agricultural Employment Information Page

H-2A Labor

• New H-2A Visa Checklist Tool is Now Available
• H-2A Informational Page
• IRS Pub 5144: Federal Income Tax and FICA Withholding for Foreign Agricultural Workers with an H2A Visa (IRS)
• Foreign Agricultural Workers on H2A Visa’s (IRS)
• Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Website
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services Information Page on H-2A
• Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration
• Homeland Security H-2A Information Page
• IRS H-2A Labor Information Page
• Adverse Effect Wage Rates (US. Dept. of Labor)
• Historic U.S. & South Carolina H2-A Certification Data and South Carolina AEWR, Dr. Adam Kantrovich

Labor Forms, Reporting, & Information

• Current US W-4
• E-Verify (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services)
• Foreign Agricultural Workers on H2A Visa’s (IRS)
• IRS Pub 5144: Federal Income Tax and FICA Withholding for Foreign Agricultural Workers with an H2A Visa (IRS)

Youth Labor Rules

• Child Labor Bulletin 102 (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
• Fact Sheet #40: Federal Youth Employment Laws in Farm Jobs  (U.S. Dept. of Labor)

Employee Engagement

• Skin in the game - Phil Durst, Jan. 2012
• Interviewing employees on the way out - Phil Durst, Oct. 2011
• Building employee loyalty through involvement - Phil Durst, Jan. 2012
• Developing a winning labor force on your farm - Stan Moore and Phil Durst, July 2011
• How do your farm’s employees measure up - Faith Cullens, Feb. 2012

Human Resource Management in Agriculture Sites

• Good Agricultural Practices Labor Management Resources Guide (revised October 2019), compiled by the Farm Labor Practices Group
• Penn State Dairy Alliance (Educational and Certificate programs; also information on HRM issues)
• Kansas State Agricultural Manager (Management and risk information site with HRM articles by Sarah Fogleman and others)
• Purdue Extension-HRM (Lectures by Bernie Ervin, part of the Strategic Business Planning for Commercial Producers training modules)
• University of California, Agricultural Labor Management (A Host of AG HR Resources)
• Michigan Dairy Review: Having to Dismiss a Dairy Farm Employee - Vera Bitsch, April 2009