Clarity around duties and responsibilities, and agreed starting and finishing times, are the most important considerations for staff when assessing the working environment on farms.
Over 50% of respondents to the 2026 survey of farm relief operators conducted by FRS Co-op stated that clear communication of duties and responsibilities was the number one issue when working on a farm.
“This was closely followed by proper rostering, with 44% of farm relief operators ranking agreed start and finish times as the most important factor of working on a farm,” an FRS spokesperson said.
Flexibility and short commute times were cited as major attractions by operators when asked what they valued most about working with FRS, and in the farm sector generally.
Over 80% of the 250 respondents to the survey said they preferred to have flexibility in their working hours on farms over structured shift work or the usual 9am-to-5pm working day.
“The vast majority of farm operators said a short commuting time is an important consideration in choosing to work in farming,” the FRS spokesperson said.
The survey reveals that “commute times for over 50% of farm workers is less than 20 minutes, while a further 26% said their commute times were between 20 and 30 minutes”.
In terms of what farming needs to do to retain existing employees or to attract new talent, more than 56% of the farm workers surveyed cited the need for higher wages as the most important factor.
A requirement to define clearer pathways for career progression was also identified as a priority for many farm workers, illustrating again the sector’s ongoing transition from a casual to a professional work environment.
In addition, reducing the number of unsociable hours worked on farms would help in the battle to retain staff or attract new talent, workers claimed.
Ireland’s farm sector is increasingly reliant on external labour support, with nine out of 10 farms now using external labour to various degrees throughout the year. Sourcing labour has become more difficult in recent years as Ireland has moved to full employment.
\ Odhran Ducie
Avoid cutting labour when addressing costs, says FRS
The 2026 farm operator survey clearly shows “what employees want to see in a farm business to make the workplace attractive”, said Neil Keane, head of agriculture at FRS Network.
The findings will be of interest to all farmers as they should help “support staff retention”, he added.
“The survey shows that farm workers place a lot of value on farm owners and managers who clearly communicate roles and responsibilities,” Keane said.
“This is a standout finding for me. In a year where farm gate margins are going to be challenged, the need for efficient farm workplaces is magnified,” he maintained.
“Our experience in FRS Co-op has taught us that advanced rostering - agreed start and finish times - and clearly defined deliverables on the farm lead to higher performing environments,” Keane explained.
“Additionally, our 2026 operator survey shows that 75% of workers prefer daily commute times of less than 30 minutes.
“This compares favourably to commuters travelling over 20 hours per week for jobs in urban centres. It’s something the sector can promote more to enhance the attractiveness of a career in farming,” the FRS official maintained.
Although all farm expenditure is under tight scrutiny this year, Keane argued that labour should not be sacrificed in order to cut costs.
“Instead of reducing external labour supports, farmers need to assess which farm duties can be delegated, enabling the farmer more time to focus on higher return activities such as budgeting, grassland management, breeding decisions etc,” he contended.
“Most importantly, farmers need to protecting the most important asset – their own health and wellbeing,” Keane said.
Ross Neil
Case study: balancing the books, relief milking and farming
Working with FRS has served Ross Neill well.
A third-year agriculture student at South East Technological University, Ross has been working with FRS since May of last year.
“I do mainly relief milking, but I’ve also done a small share of general farm work,” he said.
While many employers are looking to take workers on “full-time or no time”, Ross says the part-time work offered by FRS “fits in well” with his college studies and work on the home farm at Baltinglass, Co Wicklow.
He does relief milking primarily at weekends, but he can fit in some work during the week “depending on the [college] timetable”.
The fact that the vast majority of his work is “within 15 minutes of home” is an added attraction for Ross.
Working through FRS enables Ross to get experience in different farming set-ups which he says is a real bonus.
“It’s great to see different ways of doing things, and to see how farmers tackle different challenges or make the most of opportunities that arise,” he said.
The insurance cover offered by going through FRS, was also cited by him as an important consideration.
“Thankfully, I’ve never made a mistake and let milk from cows on antibiotics into the bulk tank, but the insurance cover is valuable to me and valuable to the farmer,” he said.
“Because I’m employed by FRS, it means my pay is always there, and my tax, PRSI and holiday pay are guaranteed,” he added.
While the plan is go back working on the family beef and sheep holding, Ross said he can see himself continuing to do relief milking into the future.
Clarity around duties and responsibilities, and agreed starting and finishing times, are the most important considerations for staff when assessing the working environment on farms.
Over 50% of respondents to the 2026 survey of farm relief operators conducted by FRS Co-op stated that clear communication of duties and responsibilities was the number one issue when working on a farm.
“This was closely followed by proper rostering, with 44% of farm relief operators ranking agreed start and finish times as the most important factor of working on a farm,” an FRS spokesperson said.
Flexibility and short commute times were cited as major attractions by operators when asked what they valued most about working with FRS, and in the farm sector generally.
Over 80% of the 250 respondents to the survey said they preferred to have flexibility in their working hours on farms over structured shift work or the usual 9am-to-5pm working day.
“The vast majority of farm operators said a short commuting time is an important consideration in choosing to work in farming,” the FRS spokesperson said.
The survey reveals that “commute times for over 50% of farm workers is less than 20 minutes, while a further 26% said their commute times were between 20 and 30 minutes”.
In terms of what farming needs to do to retain existing employees or to attract new talent, more than 56% of the farm workers surveyed cited the need for higher wages as the most important factor.
A requirement to define clearer pathways for career progression was also identified as a priority for many farm workers, illustrating again the sector’s ongoing transition from a casual to a professional work environment.
In addition, reducing the number of unsociable hours worked on farms would help in the battle to retain staff or attract new talent, workers claimed.
Ireland’s farm sector is increasingly reliant on external labour support, with nine out of 10 farms now using external labour to various degrees throughout the year. Sourcing labour has become more difficult in recent years as Ireland has moved to full employment.
\ Odhran Ducie
Avoid cutting labour when addressing costs, says FRS
The 2026 farm operator survey clearly shows “what employees want to see in a farm business to make the workplace attractive”, said Neil Keane, head of agriculture at FRS Network.
The findings will be of interest to all farmers as they should help “support staff retention”, he added.
“The survey shows that farm workers place a lot of value on farm owners and managers who clearly communicate roles and responsibilities,” Keane said.
“This is a standout finding for me. In a year where farm gate margins are going to be challenged, the need for efficient farm workplaces is magnified,” he maintained.
“Our experience in FRS Co-op has taught us that advanced rostering - agreed start and finish times - and clearly defined deliverables on the farm lead to higher performing environments,” Keane explained.
“Additionally, our 2026 operator survey shows that 75% of workers prefer daily commute times of less than 30 minutes.
“This compares favourably to commuters travelling over 20 hours per week for jobs in urban centres. It’s something the sector can promote more to enhance the attractiveness of a career in farming,” the FRS official maintained.
Although all farm expenditure is under tight scrutiny this year, Keane argued that labour should not be sacrificed in order to cut costs.
“Instead of reducing external labour supports, farmers need to assess which farm duties can be delegated, enabling the farmer more time to focus on higher return activities such as budgeting, grassland management, breeding decisions etc,” he contended.
“Most importantly, farmers need to protecting the most important asset – their own health and wellbeing,” Keane said.
Ross Neil
Case study: balancing the books, relief milking and farming
Working with FRS has served Ross Neill well.
A third-year agriculture student at South East Technological University, Ross has been working with FRS since May of last year.
“I do mainly relief milking, but I’ve also done a small share of general farm work,” he said.
While many employers are looking to take workers on “full-time or no time”, Ross says the part-time work offered by FRS “fits in well” with his college studies and work on the home farm at Baltinglass, Co Wicklow.
He does relief milking primarily at weekends, but he can fit in some work during the week “depending on the [college] timetable”.
The fact that the vast majority of his work is “within 15 minutes of home” is an added attraction for Ross.
Working through FRS enables Ross to get experience in different farming set-ups which he says is a real bonus.
“It’s great to see different ways of doing things, and to see how farmers tackle different challenges or make the most of opportunities that arise,” he said.
The insurance cover offered by going through FRS, was also cited by him as an important consideration.
“Thankfully, I’ve never made a mistake and let milk from cows on antibiotics into the bulk tank, but the insurance cover is valuable to me and valuable to the farmer,” he said.
“Because I’m employed by FRS, it means my pay is always there, and my tax, PRSI and holiday pay are guaranteed,” he added.
While the plan is go back working on the family beef and sheep holding, Ross said he can see himself continuing to do relief milking into the future.
SHARING OPTIONS