Seasonal migrant workers in Scottish agriculture: research report

Appendix C: Workers Survey

This is a survey asking questions about working in agriculture in Scotland.

Diffley Partnership have been commissioned by the Scottish Government to conduct this research. We would like to hear your views as a seasonal migrant worker. The survey should take you about 15 minutes to complete. No reporting to Scottish Government will include any information which could identify you.

Please see our privacy notice for more details of what information we ask for and why.

About You

Q1. Please select your home country:

• Scotland
• The rest of the UK
• Barbados
• Bulgaria
• Czechia
• France
• Hungary
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Kazakhstan
• Moldova (the Republic of)
• Netherlands (the)
• Poland
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan
• Other (Please specify:)

Q2. Which visa scheme are you using in Scotland?

• I do not have a visa,
• I have EU settled status,
• I have EU pre-settled status,
• Student visa with work option,
• Homes for Ukraine scheme (including the Scottish Government Super Sponsor Route)
• Ukraine Extension Scheme,
• Ukraine Family Scheme,
• Seasonal Workers Programme,
• Other (Please specify:)

Q3. What is your sex?

• Female
• Male
• Prefer not to say

Q4. What age did you turn on your last birthday?

[numeric box]

Q5. How would you describe the level of your English-speaking ability?

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Native Speaker

Q6. What is your ethnic group? Choose one section which best describes your ethnic group or background

• White – Scottish
• White – Other British
• White – Irish
• White – Polish
• White – Gypsy / Traveller
• White – Roma
• White – Showman / Showwoman
• White – Other
• Mixed or multiple ethnic groups
• Asian, Scottish Asian or British Asian - Pakistani, Scottish Pakistani or British Pakistani
• Asian, Scottish Asian or British Asian - Indian, Scottish Indian or British Indian
• Asian, Scottish Asian or British Asian - Bangladeshi, Scottish Bangladeshi or British Bangladeshi
• Asian, Scottish Asian or British Asian - Chinese, Scottish Chinese or British Chinese
• Asian, Scottish Asian or British Asian - Other, please write in
• African, Scottish African or British African
• Caribbean or Black
• Other ethnic group - Arab, Scottish Arab or British Arab
• Other, please write in:

Q7. Are your day-to-day activities limited because of a health problem or disability which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months? This also includes problems related to old age

• Yes, limited a lot
• Yes, limited a little
• No

About your background in agricultural work

Q8. For how many years have you done the following?

(Please select one answer per row)

• This is my first year
• 1-2 years
• 3-5 years
• 6-10 years
• 11-15 years
• 15+ years
• Not applicable

• Worked in agriculture in any country
• Worked in Scotland in agricultural work
• Worked in Scotland in non-agricultural work
• Worked for my current agricultural employer in Scotland

Finding your current agricultural work in Scotland

Q9. How did you find your current employment?

(Please select all that apply)

• I worked for this business previously (returning employee)
• Suggested by an existing / former employee
• Friend or family member
• Through a different business I worked for previously
• Recruitment company in my own country
• Scottish / UK recruitment company
• Advertisement / Social media / website
• Other (Please specify)

Q10. Did you have to pay a recruitment fee to get seasonal work in the UK this season?

(Please select one answer)

• Yes
• No

Q11. How did you fund your travel to the UK/ Scotland?

(Please select all that apply)

• Savings
• Credit card
• Borrowed from family / friends
• Bank loan
• Private loan
• Other (Please specify)

Q12. What are the main reasons you came to work in Scotland? Please rank in order of importance where 1 is most important and 5 is least important.

• Higher rate of pay/income levels than in my home country
• Better working conditions (hours worked, type of work etc.) than in my home country
• Previous positive experience of working in Scotland
• To join friends and/or family members working here
• To learn or improve my English

Your current agricultural work in Scotland

Q13. Which sector of agriculture is your current job?

(Please select all that apply)

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Potatoes
• Pig farming
• Dairy
• Other (Please specify)

Q14. In your current job, which of the following activities do you carry out?

(Please select all that apply)

• Supervising other workers
• Planting
• Caring for growing plants
• General maintenance
• Processing or packaging farm products
• Grading fruit, vegetables or potatoes
• Milking
• Livestock husbandry

Q15. In your current job, how many hours per week do you work in a typical week?

(numeric box)

Q16. Please indicate which of the following statements you most agree with:

(Please select one answer)

• I would prefer to work more hours than I currently work
• I would prefer to work fewer hours than I currently work
• I am happy with the number of hours I currently work

Q17. How satisfied are you with the working conditions on the farm you work on?

• Very satisfied
• Satisfied
• Dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

Q18. What is your current hourly rate of pay? (Please enter cost in pounds)

(numeric box)

Q19. Please tell us how these costs are mostly covered? (Please select one answer for each cost)

• I pay
• My employer provides and takes off my salary
• My employer provides in addition to my salary

• Accommodation
• Power costs
• Food costs
• Transport between my accommodation and work
• Your current accommodation

Q20. What type of accommodation do you currently stay in? (Please select one answer)

• Housing on the farm where I work
• Caravan on the farm where I work
• Private rental housing
• Homes for Ukraine scheme host
• Other (Please specify)

Q21. Were the arrangements for accommodation made before you came to Scotland? (Please select one answer)

• Yes
• No
• Don't Know

Q22. Who arranged your accommodation? (Please select one answer)

• Myself
• Friends or family
• My employer
• Recruitment agency
• Homes for Ukraine scheme
• Other (Please specify)

Q23. What is the cost per week of your accommodation?

(numeric box)

Q24. How satisfied are you with this accommodation?

• Very satisfied
• Satisfied
• Dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

Your experience of agricultural work in Scotland

Q25. During your time working in seasonal agricultural work in Scotland have you experienced any of the following challenges? Please select all that apply.

• Language barriers
• Delay in receiving wages
• Difficulty taking time off for holidays or illness
• Insufficient free time
• High workload / fatigue
• Discrimination or verbal abuse
• Costs of accommodation
• Travelling distance to work or transport availability
• Isolation and distance to urban centres
• Missing my family or friends
• Other (Please specify)

Q26. What are the most positive aspects during your time doing seasonal agricultural work in Scotland? (Please rank each answer from 1 to 7, where 1 is most important and 7 is least important to you)

• 1 – Most important
• 2
• 3
• 4 – Neither most nor least important
• 5
• 6
• 7 – Least important

• Ability to earn a good income
• Being able to send money home to family/friends
• Developing opportunities to acquire more permanent employment here
• Making friends with my co-workers
• Socialising and engaging with local/Scottish people
• Experiencing Scotland as a country and Scottish culture
• Ability to learn/improve my English

Your future plans

Q27. Which of the following best represents your view on whether you will return to Scotland for future seasonal agricultural work?

• Highly likely
• Likely
• Neither likely nor unlikely
• Unlikely
• Highly unlikely

Q28. If you do not plan to return, please tell us why. Please select all that apply.

• Bad experience
• Permanent job arranged
• Wage Rate
• Exchange rate
• Ease of future access to UK
• Cost of living
• Flight costs
• Potential visa costs
• Accommodation standards
• Other (Please specify)

Q29. What's been positive, if anything, about your experience of working in Scottish agriculture?

[Text Box]

Q30. What's been negative, if anything, about your experience of working in Scottish agriculture?

[Text Box]

Q31. Would you come back to work in agriculture in Scotland again? Why/ why not?

[Text Box]

Q32. Would you have further comments to make on the following? Please select all that apply.

• Finding agricultural work in Scotland
• Your working conditions
• Your accommodation
• Your pay and expenses
• Your experience of agricultural work in Scotland compared to other countries
• Other (Please specify)

Q33. Would you like to take part in a follow-up interview about this topic?

This would be arranged with you within a few months and take up to one hour of your time. We would arrange to conduct over the phone, the internet or in person. We would arrange a translator if you would like questions asked to you in a language other than English. As a thank you for your participation we would gift you a £20 Love2Shop e-voucher.

• Yes, I am interested in taking part in an interview
• No, I am not interested in taking part in an interview

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