Hiring farm workers
Last updated on February 13, 2024
A farm worker is employed in a farming, ranching, orchard or agricultural operation. Their main duties can include growing, planting, cultivating or harvesting agricultural products.
If you hire farm workers, you must:
- Follow employment standards in B.C.
- Follow the rules for hiring young people or temporary foreign workers
- Make sure the farm labour contractor is licensed and follows the rules, if you use one
- Make any required federal payroll deductions like income tax, Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance premiums
- Meet WorkSafeBC requirements
On this page
Paying wages
Farm workers can be paid a piece rate, hourly rate or salary for their work. All farm workers must be paid at least twice a month.
Farms sometimes use workers through a licensed farm labour contractor. Even if farm workers work at different farms, they're employees of the licensed farm labour contractor who hired them. Wages earned by farm workers employed by a farm labour contractor must be paid by direct deposit. Farm labour contractors and producers are held responsible for making sure that farm workers are paid.
If a farm uses a farm labour contractor that is not licensed, the farm may become the employer of the farm workers.
Farm workers do not receive overtime or statutory holiday pay. Employers must not require or allow farm workers to work excessive hours that could harm their health or safety.
Farm workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) must be paid according to the SAWP contract.
Piece rate
Farm workers who harvest crops by hand can be paid a piece rate. They must be paid at least the minimum piece rate for the crop they're harvesting.
The calculation for piece rate work is: Piece rate x volume or weight picked.
Employers must post notices on-site that state what the piece rate is for each crop, the size of the picking containers and how much is needed to fill a container (i.e. volume or weight). They also need to provide a "picking card" for workers to record the total volume or weight that they pick.
Vacation pay (4%) is included in piece rates, except for daffodils.
| Crop | Rate effective January 1, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Apples | $23.14 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Apricots | $26.63 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Beans | $0.317 a pound / $0.699 a kg |
| Blueberries | $0.537 a pound / $1.184 a kg |
| Brussels sprouts | $0.221 a pound / $0.487 a kg |
| Cherries | $0.305 a pound / $0.672 a kg |
| Grapes | $24.60 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Mushrooms | $0.319 a pound / $0.703 a kg |
| Peaches | $24.60 a 1/2 bin (12.6 ft3 / 0.357 m3) |
| Pears | $26.06 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Peas | $0.396 a pound / $0.873 a kg |
| Prune plums | $26.06 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Raspberries | $0.483 a pound / $1.065 a kg |
| Strawberries | $0.466 a pound / $1.027 a kg |
| Daffodils* | $0.186 a bunch (10 stems) |
*This rate does not include vacation pay
| Crop | Rate effective January 1, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Apples | $21.65 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Apricots | $24.91 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Beans | $0.297 a pound / $0.655 a kg |
| Blueberries | $0.502 a pound / $1.107 a kg |
| Brussels sprouts | $0.207 a pound / $0.456 a kg |
| Cherries | $0.285 a pound / $0.628 a kg |
| Grapes | $23.01 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Mushrooms | $0.298 a pound / $0.657 a kg |
| Peaches | $23.01 a 1/2 bin (12.6 ft3 / 0.357 m3) |
| Pears | $24.38 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Peas | $0.370 a pound / $0.816 a kg |
| Prune plums | $24.38 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Raspberries | $0.452 a pound / $0.996 a kg |
| Strawberries | $0.436 a pound / $0.961 a kg |
| Daffodils* | $0.174 a bunch (10 stems) |
*This rate does not include vacation pay
Minimum farm worker piece rates effective January 1, 2019
| Crop | Rate effective January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Apples | $21.06 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Apricots | $24.23 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Beans | $0.289 a pound / $0.637 a kg |
| Blueberries | $0.488 a pound / $1.077 a kg |
| Brussels sprouts | $0.201 a pound / $0.443 a kg |
| Cherries | $0.277 a pound / $0.610 a kg |
| Grapes | $22.38 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Mushrooms | $0.290 a pound / $0.639 a kg |
| Peaches | $22.38 a 1/2 bin (12.6 ft3 / 0.357 m3) |
| Pears | $23.72 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Peas | $0.360 a pound / $0.794 a kg |
| Prune plums | $23.72 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Raspberries | $0.440 a pound / $0.971 a kg |
| Strawberries | $0.424 a pound / $0.934 a kg |
| Daffodils* | $0.169 a bunch (10 stems) |
*This rate does not include vacation pay
Hourly or salary wages
Farm workers that get paid hourly, by salary or by any other method must be paid at least the minimum wage. They also receive vacation time and pay.
Paying wages
Employees must be paid at least twice per month and within eight days after the end of each pay period.
Farm workers employed by farm labour contractors must be paid by direct deposit.
Inspections by the Compliance and TFW Team
The Inter-Agency Agriculture Compliance Committee is a group of organizations that work together to protect the rights and safety of workers in the agriculture industry. The committee focuses on education, prevention and enforcement.
The Compliance and TFW Team from the Employment Standards Branch is part of the inter-agency committee. Their role is to make sure that farm owners/producers and farm labour contractors follow the rules in the Employment Standards Act.
The team inspects vehicles used by farm labour contractors to transport workers and visits farms where work is being done. During farm visits, they observe operations, interview workers, review records and talk to farm labour contractors and the owner/producer. Visits are not scheduled. Refusing to allow the team to visit could result in being fined $500 to $10,000.
When the team arrives on-site, they will try to contact the farm owner/producer or manager to explain the purpose of the visit and show their government identification. The team will then enter the site to briefly interview employees and any representatives of the farm labour contractor on site. The team may request to see specific information, including:
From the farm owner/producer
- Name and telephone number of the farm
- Name of all farm labour contractors on site
- Rate being paid to the farm labour contractor
- Rate being paid to workers employed directly by the farm owner/producer
- Records being kept for the work done by the farm labour contractor, such as how many workers are brought each day and their hours worked
- Confirmation that the farm owner/producer has reviewed the farm labour contractor’s licence
- Number and ages of children under the age of 15 on site
- A blank copy of the picking cards being used by workers
- Payroll records for workers employed directly by the farm owner/producer
From the farm labour contractor
- Number of employees on site
- Daily log
- Number and ages of children under age 15 on site
- Wage rate being paid
- Vehicle registrations and inspection certificates, driver’s licences and safety notices
- Payroll records for workers employed by the farm labour contractor
From farm workers
- Name, address, and phone number
- First day worked
- Picking card number
- Wage rate
- How often wages are paid
- Confirmation that wages are paid by direct deposit if employed by a farm labour contractor
- Confirmation that vacation pay is properly calculated and paid if paid an hourly rate
For more information, contact the Employment Standards Compliance and TFW Team at ESB.Compliance@gov.bc.ca.
What you can do
If you're a farm worker and your employer is not treating you right, see which government agencies can help.
If you're having issues at work, find out what you can do: