The new worker protections that must be incorporated into job orders filed in connection with H-2A Applications (criteria clearance orders) will apply to workers employed under any criteria clearance orders and associated H-2A applications submitted on or after 12:00AM Eastern Daylight Time on August 29, 2024. Here is a webinar from the USDOL that outlines the changes you will see in the forms ETA 790 and 790A and 9142A.
Category: Labor Regulations
Updates for farm owners and managers about changes to farm labor laws and regulations. Also, seasonal reminders
Guide to Starting a Business in NYS: NY Business Express
One question that I get frequently is “what do I need to do to legally start my farm as a business?” While this can be a complex question, there is a pretty good resource at the state level to help guide you through a lot of the forms, licenses, and permits you need to operate a business of any type in New York. It is called NY Business Express.
Farm Provided Housing Guide
If you offer housing for your workers Cornell Ag Workforce Development has developed a guide to farm provided employee housing that can help you ensure that your housing is compliant with regulations. It also makes suggestions for effectively managing your employee housing.
Farm Employers Can Now Hire Asylum Seekers for Work
In the fall of 2023, the U.S. government granted Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan migrants. As a result, many of this group now are authorized to work in the U.S. with a document called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). New York state has established a website where employers can register their interest in finding and hiring asylum seekers.
New York Employers Must Post Pay Rates in Job Ads
As of September 17, 2023, New York employers with 4 or more employees must post pay information and a brief job description in any advertising about a job, promotion, or transfer opportunity for a job to be performed in the state.
Use the New I-9 to Document Authorization to Work
A new year brings a good opportunity to remind employers that there is a new version of the U.S. government’s “Employment Eligibility Verification” form, better known as I-9.
H-2A Wage Rates & SOC Codes Explained
The 2024 Becker Forum was hosted by New York State Vegetable Growers Association on Monday, January 22, 2024. At the event, recent changes to the H-2A program were discussed in detail, including from U.S. Department of Labor’s senior H-2A administrator, Mr. Brian Pasternak. Mr. Pasternak shared incredibly important information with the audience, and I want to revisit a few key points here.
NEW RESEARCH REPORT: How NY Farmers Adapted to New Farm Labor Overtime Requirements
by Richard Stup, Elizabeth Higgins, Jason Karszes, Bradley Rickard and Christopher Wolf New York farmers are putting much thought into adapting their businesses in response to the state’s farm labor overtime requirements. Cornell researchers are studying how farms adapted and continue to adapt to changing regulatory requirements and to an overall tight and competitive labor market. Read More…
New Regulations for the H2A Program Become Effective November 12, 2022
The final rule, which is available on the Federal Register, won’t be officially published there until Oct. 12, and it becomes effective Nov. 12. Changes to the program include governmental authority to ban some people from the program for misconduct, upgrades to worker housing requirements and inspections, updates to bond requirements for labor contractors, mandatory electronic Read More…
New York Farm Labor Overtime Threshold to Decline from 60 hours to 40 hours by 2032
Dr. Richard Stup, CCE-Agricultural Workforce Development Program, Ithaca, New York New York’s state government took another major step toward reducing the farm laborer overtime threshold on September 30, 2022. Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon issued a press release and official order accepting the findings of the Farm Laborer Wage Board report. The NY State Department of Labor will Read More…