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Working Hours
"Monsanto will comply with applicable local, state and national laws and industry practices on working hours."
Our industry is seasonal in nature; as a result, there are defined "peak" and
"non-peak" seasons when there are pressures to complete a function within
a finite period of time.
Longer working hours are common for certain workers during peak seasons. However, these extended working hours tend to be limited in duration because of the nature of the agricultural industry. Typically, farmers must harvest their crops within a few weeks' time, and farm work is often limited to daylight hours. By contrast, in low seasons, working hours may fall to levels well below those of regular workweeks.
Monsanto will not violate local legal limits on working hours by requiring its associates to work beyond these limits. Further, in peak production seasons, Monsanto will seek to limit working hours to a maximum of 72 hours per week for temporary or contract workers in safety-sensitive positions.
To demonstrate compliance with this objective and payment of wages, we encourage our business partners to track all working hours of their hourly associates. This policy is required at all Monsanto-owned facilities. The use of a similar system involving time cards, bar codes, or manual attendance sheets is strongly suggested for our business partners.
Question and Answer
Does Monsanto have a standard for the maximum number of working hours that may be accepted?
For Monsanto employees, we comply with the local laws governing working hours. In the absence of such laws, Monsanto follows the guidelines articulated in our written Environmental, Safety, and Health Policies: a maximum 72-hour workweek and at least one day off per pay period for any temporary or contract personnel who work in safety-sensitive positions.
