So I have been working at this farm for the last three years. I work hard. I’m always there if the business needs me. I do countless hours over the years unpaid because they are unorganised and (can’t get out of bed or manage their time)

I’m self employed but they dictate what they want to pay and it’s per shift. The shifts used to be 3.5-4 hours long and now it’s more like 5-5.5 hours long due to having more animals to care for as the business grows. Pay is less then what I earned in 2014.

It’s disgusting at times. No one makes an effort to keep the place clean. I do - I do as much as I possibly can but I’m constantly chasing my tail because no one else will lift a finger.

So to the problem

Fast forward last week. I removed all the cow muck from the crush and washed out the foot bath, scrubbed the walls in the parlour after each shift, caught cows for AI and vet. All of which takes time and physical effort that I’m not paid for.

I go home, look on the group work chat and there’s a picture of a bit of Pooh on the rail at the end of the parlour and a message telling me to keep it clean. Needless to say I answered with “seriously?!” And when she said it’s been messy recently (it’s the first time she’s done any work in months and the first time she’s actually completed a shift in full) I reminded her that “she doesn’t get to abuse my time- if she wants something prioritised over something else she should tell me and it was disrespectful as hell to put that on the group chat”

It’s been two days and I’m still seething. I’m over it.