Industries
Farm payroll for seasonal agricultural teams
A harvest pay run needs records that explain both the worker’s compensation and the assignment behind it. Tidwell supports farm payroll from approved instructions, with employment and tax decisions handled by the operation’s advisers.
Last reviewed:
General information, not legal advice.
Identify the employer before collecting crew totals
Separate direct farm employees from personnel employed by a farm labor contractor. Establish who approves hours and supplies compensation terms. Preserve field and crew references for cost allocation while keeping the employee-level records needed to calculate pay.
Use the schedule that applies to the employment arrangement
DLSE’s payday table requires farm labor contractor employees to be paid at least weekly, including wages earned through the fourth day before payday. Do not apply an ordinary office calendar to that arrangement. Ask the adviser to confirm the appropriate schedule for other employees and build the approval cutoff accordingly.
Sources: DLSE FAQ - Paydays
Keep piece earnings and other paid time identifiable
Where California piece-rate requirements apply, rest and recovery periods require separate pay. Other nonproductive time is also addressed by those rules. Supply approved time categories and production records together; a harvest-unit total alone cannot document every part of the calculation.
Sources: DIR - AB 1513 FAQs
Prepare returning workers before the next run
EDD requires a rehire report when the person has been separated from that employer for at least 60 consecutive days. Check the return date and previous separation rather than assuming a prior payroll record completes onboarding. Keep reporting confirmations with the seasonal employee file.
Sources: EDD - New Hire Reporting
Sources for agricultural schedules and pay records
Farm bookkeeping and crew organization
Prepare the seasonal payroll handoff
Tell us which records need attention and who approves the next steps.
Payroll service starts at $125 a month. See pricing