Questions to Ask Before Accepting Farm Work
Last updated: 11 July 2026
Most bad seasons were predictable from the first phone call — the answers were vague, the numbers didn’t add up, and the traveller needed the job too much to push. Ask these questions before you commit, in writing where you can, and a lot of grief never happens.
Pay
- Is the pay hourly or piece rate? If piece rate: what’s the rate per bin/kilo/row, and what did an average worker actually earn per hour last season? Piece-rate earnings must still average at least the minimum wage for the hours you work — an employer who won’t talk real numbers is telling you something.
- How often is payday, and how is it paid? Weekly or fortnightly into a bank account with a payslip is normal. Cash with no records is a red flag — see spotting dodgy employers.
- What happens on wet days? No picking usually means no pay. Ask how many wet days to expect in the season and whether there’s indoor work (packing, pruning) to fall back on.
- Are there any deductions? Accommodation, transport, equipment — get each one itemised before you start. Deductions generally need your written agreement.
The agreement
- Will I get a written employment agreement? In New Zealand you’re entitled to one, and to reasonable time to read it before signing. “We don’t do paperwork” is not a quirk — it’s a warning.
- Is there a trial period? Trial and probation clauses have specific legal rules; if one is in the agreement, read it and check the current rules on Employment New Zealand.
- Employee or contractor? Some operators sign workers up as “contractors” to dodge minimum wage and holiday pay. If you didn’t set out to run a business, be very wary of signing anything that says you are one.
Hours and the work itself
- How many hours a week, realistically? Ask for the range, not the best case. Six 9-hour days at peak is common; so are weeks the work dries up.
- What’s the physical reality? Ladders, repetitive lifting, heat, chemicals? What safety gear is provided? You can refuse genuinely unsafe work.
- How long does the season actually last here? “Work until June” sometimes means “work until the crop finishes in April”.
Accommodation and transport
- What exactly does the accommodation cost include? Per week or per night? Shared with how many? Kitchen, laundry, heating, Wi‑Fi? Ask for photos of the actual room, not the website.
- Is there a bond, and how do I get it back? Get the amount and refund conditions in writing.
- Am I free to live elsewhere? Tying the job to overpriced on-site accommodation is a classic margin grab. If living on site is required, that cost is part of your real hourly rate — do the maths.
- How do I get to the block each day? If there’s a van, does it cost? If not, is the job reachable without a car?
Before you say yes
- Look the employer up on Farmdoor’s employer reviews and ask in the forum if anyone’s worked there recently.
- Get the key numbers — pay rate, hours, deductions, bond — in a message you can keep, even just a text. Verbal promises evaporate.
- Trust the pattern, not the promise: vague answers, pressure to decide today, and “everyone earns great money here” with no specifics usually travel together.
Guides cover the general rules — your situation is your own. For official, current details always check the government links above, and see our resources page for who to contact when something isn’t right. And before you accept a job, check what other travellers said about the employer on Farmdoor’s employer reviews.