Fair Seasonal Work

The Portal "seasonal-work.org" serves to inform you about agricultural enterprises that will employ you at fair conditions.

Every year, some 350,000 foreign workers are employed in Germany during the harvest season. The level of knowledge and insecurities of the employees with regard to their working conditions as well as the danger of so-called social and wage dumping often lead to seasonal workers being regarded negatively by the general public. That is why the certificate of Fair Seasonal Work characterises enterprises that have taken on the obligation of adhering to general social standards in the following areas:

Uhr

Working Time and Leave

The Working Hours Act shall also be applied to agriculture. During harvesting time, there are special conditions in agriculture, which are considered by the Working Hours Act by rules of exemption. As this Act is to guarantee the safety and industrial health of the employees, there are limits also to the rules of exemption.

Handschuhe

Occupational Health and Safety

The respective working sheets of the trade association shall apply to the various types of work performed. Under German law, the enterprise is obliged to instruct all employees about possible sources of danger and to fit them out with appropriate protective clothing, should the need arise. These instructions have to be communicated in your native language. We provide more detailed information about occupational health and safety here.

Container

Accomodation

The enterprises have to make available appropriate living quarters to the seasonal workforce. There are minimum requirements in this case, which have to be adhered to. These apply to the areas of:

  • building construction
  • living space
  • sanitary facilities
  • kitchen
Geld

Appropriate Income

There are different labour agreements that apply within agriculture in Germany. You can inform yourself about the labour agreement applicable to your situation in this table (Link Tariff Table) or through IG BAU (contact number, link, e-mail).

Vertrag

Employment Contracts

An employee has to insist on the conclusion of a written employment contract. He has a claim to the written version of an orally agreed employment contract, on the basis of the Documentation of Employment Contracts Act. This claim has to be filed with the employer in writing. The employment contract shall contain the main, fundamental obligations of the two parties to the contract. These include, for instance:

  • the nature of the work to be performed by the employee,
  • the leave,
  • the duration of the employment,
  • the nature and amount of remuneration.

Issues such as working hours, leave, the responsibilities of the two sides in case of contract violations etc. need not be laid down in an employment contract. However, if these issues are not stipulated in the contract, the valid legal regulations, the framework employment contracts as well as prevailing case law shall apply respectively.

Mitsprache

Co-determination/Participation

Due to the size of the enterprises in agriculture, they usually do not qualify for a works council. In order to implement your interests, you are entitled to elect your contact or speaker within the enterprise.

» saisonarbeit.org «

Our aim is to inform you, through this portal, about which of the enterprises have taken on the obligation of fulfilling these criteria.

You will find a German- language list of certified enterprises here.

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