ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – Farmers likely perked up during Governor Hochul’s State of the State address Wednesday when she mentioned tax credits for overtime pay.
There’s a debate going on now as to whether a farm worker should get OT after a 60-hour work week, which is the current model, or if overtime should be paid after a 40-hour week.
Farmers are against the 40-hour OT model, saying many them would go out of business. But with the governor offering to give farmers a tax credit for the cost of overtime, it could have farmers rethinking their position.
“Any help at all to reduce labor costs, especially when it comes to overtime; farmers don’t set their prices, they take what’s given to them, which is a really hard business environment to exist in,” said Jeff Williams, New York Farm Bureau policy director.
The farm bureau wants more details on how the tax credits would work.
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