Our Model Handbook for Farm Employees (on Google Docs) is one of our most popular resources. It includes a variety of labor policies and practices that will help you establish fair working conditions on your farm and comply with FJC standards.
Extension services offer employee handbook templates, but most are hardly suited to fostering a fair and welcoming workplace, instead repeatedly emphasizing that employees can be fired at any time for any reason. Without violating At Will law, you as an employer can commit to only firing employees for just cause. See the introduction to our model handbook for more information on At Will doctrine, its roots in the employer backlash against emancipation and the 13th amendment, and the need for “just cause” employment policies. See also our AJP Policy Manual for a more in-depth legal discussion of the rights and responsibilities of employers regarding At Will.
See also our 20-minute video guide which walks you through the policies and practices that the handbook contains so you know what you’re offering your employees.