KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — To help U.S. farmers and farm workers involved in the production of labor-intensive crops better understand and comply with labor laws and regulations, GAP Connections – a organization dedicated to “developing and maintaining harmonized agricultural standards and practices” – recently released its complimentary 2015 Agriculture Labor Management Resource Guide.

“The guide serves as an excellent resource for growers and workers, that condenses the relative federal laws that pertain to agricultural labor,” said Jane Starnes, executive director of GAP Connections.

The 60-page guide was developed by the Farm Labor Practice Group (FLPG), a group of key stakeholders including manufacturers, buyers, growers, government and non-governmental organizations, whose purpose is to “facilitate constructive dialogue about farm labor practices.”

Starnes said GAP Connections partnered with FLPG to release the guide and provide the enhanced labor training to grower-members at this year’s GAP training meetings. “We have over 11,500 growers in 19 states who will participate in that training,” she said. “At many of the meetings, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) representatives will provide the training.”

Moreover, she said the guide is a comprehensive resource that includes fact sheets on various labor laws and regulations, required forms, as well as reference checklists and guidelines, which include guidelines for payment of farm labor, DOL – Occupational Safety and Health Administration housing safety and health checklists, grower checklist for labor postings, guidelines for transportation and guidelines when using farm labor contractors, to name a few.

“This guide puts all of the information regarding labor for farmers and farm workers into one convenient resource,” Starnes said. “By developing this document, we are continuing the GAP and FLPG mission of providing growers with the resources they need to develop more efficient and ethical agricultural practices.”

Along with the guide, she said GAP also provides growers with a poster that “compiles all the necessary posters into one big poster to make sure farm workers are aware of the laws and regulations. We wanted our growers to have really tangible items to help them in their compliance efforts.

“The regulations farmers operate under are numerous and lengthy, and with the help of FLPG and DOL, this guide makes it easier for a farmer to learn, understand and implement the required practices and regulations on their farm,” she said.

In addition, Starnes explained the guide contains many templates and forms directly from the DOL. “Growers can find many examples of forms that record the information they are obligated to provide to their workers such as Workers Terms and Condition of Employment, Wage Statement, Housing Terms and Conditions.”

Daniel Sheehan, executive director of the Assoc. of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) in Washington, D.C., said workers will benefit from expanded knowledge and improved training.

“They’ll also benefit from increased compliance by growers,” he noted. “What will help them most, however, are efforts to directly address the causes of farm worker poverty.”

Being able to educate farmers and workers about what’s expected is one of the most important steps in fostering improved farm labor practices, Starnes said. “By making this resource freely available to growers,” she added, “we are giving them invaluable information that can help maintain compliance and streamline procedures across the United States.”

The guide will be available in Spanish in the near future and is also available in English on the website and in the free mobile app, GAP Connections Grower, found in the Android and iTunes stores. For more information on the guide, visit www.gapconnections.com or call 865-622-4606.