GAPC Certification Tips

Our weekly email containing tips, advice and reminders that will help you achieve GAPC Certification in 2018. 
This week: Terms and Conditions, Posters and Worker Concern Process
1. Terms and Conditions: Who needs them?
      ...depends on if you are trying to achieve U.S. or International Certification
     Critical Standards for U.S. Certification
If you hire more than 500 man-days of hired labor in any of calendar quarters of last year, at the time of recruitment of migrant workers terms and conditions must be provided in writing in the worker’s preferred language.  
If you hire more than 500 man-days of hired labor in any of calendar quarters of last year, at the time of hire of seasonal workers terms and conditions must be provided verbally and if requested in writing in the worker’s preferred language.
If you hire less than 500 man-days of hired labor in your busiest calendar quarter of last year, terms and conditions are not required for the audit but still viewed as a best practice. 
Critical Standards for International Certification
At the time of recruitment and at the time of hire, provide all hired workers a written disclosure describing the terms and conditions of their work commitment written in the worker’s preferred language.
If required to have Terms and Conditions they must include the following: 
  • place of work (with specifics, such as the name and address)
  • pay rates (including piece rates) to be paid
  • crops and kinds of activities for which the worker may be assigned
  • period of work commitment
  • transportation, housing, and any other worker benefits to be provided, if any, and any costs to be charged for each
  • whether state workers’ compensation or state unemployment insurance is provided
What are man-days? How do you calculate them?
2. Required Posters and Worker Concern Process
Posters
There were two posters available at every GAP Training this year, the Worker Concern Helpline (WCH) poster and the Worker Rights and Responsibilities (WRR) poster.  If you did not pick one of the posters up at the training they are now available in the GAPC Store.  
  • Worker Concern Helpline (WCH)
    All growers must have either the WCH poster or other approved third-party worker concern phone number posted in their native language where workers can access and read it on or near the job site. The only other approved third-party worker concern phone number is North Carolina Grower Associations (NCGA) grievance mechanism phone number.  If a grower indicated on their certification application that they will be using NCGA's phone number and process it must be posted on the farm.
  • Worker Rights and Responsibilities (WRR)
    All growers must have a WRR poster posted where workers can access and read it on or near the job site. 
Worker Concern Process
Each grower must implement a worker concern process.  This is a documented program that is discussed AND given to or posted for all workers. The policy must be written in a language common to the workers and set forth the terms of the available worker concern process to include statements stating the following:
  • The grower is committed to providing a safe working environment for all workers and satisfy all legal rights of workers while they are on their farm.
  • A method is available for workers to notify the grower, orally and in writing, of any concern related to the terms or conditions of work 
  • The grower will investigate concerns brought forth by workers and provide notice to the    workers, if known, of how the concern will be or was addressed.
  • At the request of the workers, an informal meeting between the grower and workers will be held to address the concern
  • If a worker raises a concern with grower and is not satisfied with the resolution or handling of the issue, they are encouraged to call the WCH or to an alternative approved third-party helpline to voice and address the concern
  • The grower nor any of its employees or agents will retaliate against workers for using the worker concern process.  
Make it easy by using the GAPC WCH posters and template documentation provided by GAPC in the record packets at annual training or found here.  Get your workers together read the points on the Worker Concern Documentation, show them and discuss the WRR and WCH posters and have them sign their name in the spaces provided.   
For those who indicated on their certification application they will be using NCGA as their worker concern helpline and process, you must provide the following at the time of the audit:
  • Documentation signed by the workers that describes the procedures and policies used as well as how the helpline is shared with the workers (Acknowledge of Receipt document provided by NCGA)
  • Visual evidence of the phone number being displayed in a location visible to all workers(i.e. poster, sign, wallet card, etc.) 
In future emails...  
  • Worker Training Requirements
  • Housing and Transportation
  • Agrochemical Storage
  • What is remediation?
We will also be answering these questions and posting them online for easy access at: 
http://www.gapconnections.com/growers/faq-certification

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