12/ APRIL 2020 THE RIDER Hoofbeats Radio News Recently on Hoofbeats


radio, we shared new and extra information on the Findings from The “Learning From Em- ployers Action Group,” which were initially presented at the 2019 Equine Industry Sympo- sium, by the chair, Kim Logue, in a quick 5 minute summary. The Action Group was


formed after the 2018 Equine In- dustry symposium, with the mandate to visit, investigate and learn from, equine operations, businesses and employers, who are trying to do better, for their workers, in an ever-evolving landscape — With a special focus on those who are succeed- ing — to hold out their best prac- tices for the rest of the (equine) world to see! First off, it can pay to hire


a Bookkeeper (and/or to develop the skill set of a trained book- keeper), in order to run periodic reports, at least quarterly, if not monthly. And understand how to read them. So that you won’t make life altering decisions based on faulty information! Having a pro do the books


is certain to help any immediate problems like missed payments from customers, or lack of ade- quate expense records for write offs... But you can also review


your salary expense as an appro- priate % of total expenses, re- view revenue generated per hour per employee, and identify other trends to improve your prof- itability etc Next, it works to correctly


classify your employees and pay the WSIB. It is important insur- ance for the business. A disgrun- tled or injured worker classified incorrectly as “Casual help” or “Independent Contractor” can make a legal claim; Or a random investigation


by Revenue


Canada or Ministry of Labour could find the operation liable for failing to submit source de- ductions. Over a few years, the liability of those remittances and/or fines or settlements could seriously jeopardize you busi- ness.


is that


A key point was that made to Reduce Worker


TurnOver and IMPROVE RE- TENTION is important in every industry. Turnover is expensive for the all minimum wage retail or hospitality businesses of the world and is important in any in- dustry. The accounting firm we spoke to calculates that it costs them $10,000 to hire a new em- ployee, $10,000 to orient over them 2 months, and then the new staffer is in training for the first


year. So, the firm needs to earn new revenue at two times the salary of the employee to cover the salary expense. In a similar way, Equine


Employers should compute the tangible costs of their employee turnover. And, consider: • lost productivity before the de- parting employee actually leaves • time that you or others will need to fill in and the time spent coordinating the schedule to en- sure that coverage • the cost of time spent on admin tasks, like recruiting, and inter- viewing, • and, the cost of lost productiv- ity during orientation and train- ing


We found more than one


example, with the same staff for nearly 5 yrs, who were paid $18- $19 hr! So, it is suggested, to consider starting salaries a smidge above minimum wage. And, to lay out a schedule for pay increases. Maybe a 50 cent increase every 6 months? The $3 more per hour, that a person is earning where they have stuck with the place for 3 years, is not seen as an additional expense coming out of their pocket. It is understood to be a savings. Also, it works to welcome


being notified of “problems,” or


getting suggestions, i.e. to foster communication. Staff who regu- larly engage with their manager, experience a much greater rela- tionship. Having an environment whereby leaders and workers problem solve together, leads to a much more agile and innova- tive environment, to deal with roadblocks in the workplace quicker. And, on a continuous basis. Consider the stable with a daily coffee and tea break, that the owners come in and make, around 10am each day before gathering in the heated tack room around with everyone who is present on the farm! How easy it is to have communication and conversation that way! We also found that even in


a challenged labour market like ours, people leave bosses, not jobs. Give that some thought. Our research shows that non- cash rewards, like a horse to ride, or lessons, can make all the dif- ference. A simple, earnest thank you with specific recognition, can go much further than many bosses realize… Be sure to check out the


Feb 20th show, posted at hoof- beats.ca


Kim Logue. Photo by Katrina Merkies


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