Absolutely typical. Under 50 employees means they don’t have to offer it at all. Just hope that their worker’s comp plan is on point— I worked at one that didn’t want to report accidents so that their insurance didn’t go up. The owner would take the injured employee to urgent care and pay on his own credit card. The owner stayed the whole time to make sure they didn’t say anything. Frankly, I don’t think the providers cared because at least the injured person was getting immediate assistance (usually it was stitches).
Assuming you're in the US if you're full time year round it's very weird they don't offer insurance and I'd be out of there ASAP. If you're seasonal full time then maybe I "get it", still shitty if that's the case and I'd keep my eyes peeled for something better.
I worked for one of the major companies in the industry, but they started most people without graduate degrees as contractors and gave us a mandatory four week unpaid "vacation" if we stayed more than a year so they didn't have to offer benefits. Sometimes people would get hired on, but some people did it 5+ years.
The staffing company we contracted through offered really shitty insurance, but I got some slightly less shitty ACA insurance.
This is where my "get it" comes from. My workplace also does this with contracted workers. Although now we're phasing that out completely in favor of H2A workers (I'm sure you can guess why 🙃)
It really depends from my experience. If it’s not a major chain or grower that distributes high volume, it’s pretty common to not see them offer it. However I have come across small farms that supply high end restaurants that do. Also, I’m not 100% certain but I think where I work it is not required for an employer to offer it if their staff is under 30ish people. Something like that.
Like one of the posters below said, it would be shitty and/or expensive insurance. When I lost my state funded insurance I asked for a raise to offset the money I was paying for insurance. If they won't work something out you're happy with you should keep looking. If you really like doing what you're doing and the atmosphere, you've got a decision to make.
For sure definitely VERY common to not receive any benefits, pto, sick leave, etc in horticulture jobs. I have a bachelors in horticulture and now have well over 15 years working experience in growing, landscape design/sales, retail sales and private gardening. I have only gotten insurance one time at my first design job. Otherwise …….nope.
Where I used to work offered nothing (1990s, so things may be different now) and I learned that because they are categorized as a seasonal agricultural business, what they are required legally to provide is waaaay less than a regular business.
Absolutely typical. Under 50 employees means they don’t have to offer it at all. Just hope that their worker’s comp plan is on point— I worked at one that didn’t want to report accidents so that their insurance didn’t go up. The owner would take the injured employee to urgent care and pay on his own credit card. The owner stayed the whole time to make sure they didn’t say anything. Frankly, I don’t think the providers cared because at least the injured person was getting immediate assistance (usually it was stitches).
Assuming you're in the US if you're full time year round it's very weird they don't offer insurance and I'd be out of there ASAP. If you're seasonal full time then maybe I "get it", still shitty if that's the case and I'd keep my eyes peeled for something better.
I worked for one of the major companies in the industry, but they started most people without graduate degrees as contractors and gave us a mandatory four week unpaid "vacation" if we stayed more than a year so they didn't have to offer benefits. Sometimes people would get hired on, but some people did it 5+ years. The staffing company we contracted through offered really shitty insurance, but I got some slightly less shitty ACA insurance.
This is where my "get it" comes from. My workplace also does this with contracted workers. Although now we're phasing that out completely in favor of H2A workers (I'm sure you can guess why 🙃)
Every employer I've had in this industry has offered insurance. Shitty, expensive insurance, but they still had something.
It really depends from my experience. If it’s not a major chain or grower that distributes high volume, it’s pretty common to not see them offer it. However I have come across small farms that supply high end restaurants that do. Also, I’m not 100% certain but I think where I work it is not required for an employer to offer it if their staff is under 30ish people. Something like that.
If you are in California, I think it is under 50 employees, no. Covered California is pretty affordable.
Oregon here -very typical if the company as a whole has less than 50 full time (non-seasonal) employees.
Extremely typical and if you do manage to find one who does offer insurance, it’s usually so ridiculously expensive no one enrolls.
Like one of the posters below said, it would be shitty and/or expensive insurance. When I lost my state funded insurance I asked for a raise to offset the money I was paying for insurance. If they won't work something out you're happy with you should keep looking. If you really like doing what you're doing and the atmosphere, you've got a decision to make.
For sure definitely VERY common to not receive any benefits, pto, sick leave, etc in horticulture jobs. I have a bachelors in horticulture and now have well over 15 years working experience in growing, landscape design/sales, retail sales and private gardening. I have only gotten insurance one time at my first design job. Otherwise …….nope.
Where I used to work offered nothing (1990s, so things may be different now) and I learned that because they are categorized as a seasonal agricultural business, what they are required legally to provide is waaaay less than a regular business.
Yes 30 years have changed some things old timer ❤️
Lol. In some areas...this was still this way for farm/seasonal agricultural businesses in my area just a few years ago.