Agricultural Wages Inspections

The Scottish Government through Agricultural Wages Inspectors (AWIs) carries out Control Test Inspections (CTIs) to make sure that employers are complying with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order(s) using powers set out in the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949.

Every year, we must carry out random checks at employers' places of business, both by way of routine spot checks and in response to complaints made by individual workers about their pay and conditions.

We will interview you as the employer and one or more employees and collect any documentation relating to their employment. We will be looking for evidence that all employees are in receipt of:

  • the minimum agricultural wage rate
  • the correct overtime rate
  • dog allowance where appropriate
  • weather protective clothing if required
  • agricultural sick pay where appropriate
  • a contract
  • holiday entitlement
  • timesheets

  • have timesheets, contracts, payslips plus any other supporting documents ready
  • make sure that your records and documents are always up to date, logically laid out, neat and close at hand
  • notify employees that we are inspecting and that we will need to interview them
  • Inspection Outcomes

When we have completed the inspection and we have entered the results of your inspection on to our computer system, the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team (AWET) will review the documentation provided. They will then send you a letter to summarise your inspection.

If any issues are identified during your inspection, you will be asked to rectify and to provide further evidence to the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team that this has been actioned.

If you do not rectify any identified issues, fail to provide evidence or serious issues are identified, we will refer to this as a breach of the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order and any further action will be assessed depending on how serious the breach is, this may include an in-depth investigation.

More information on Agricultural Wages can be found on the SASA website.

Contact details

Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team,
Saughton House,
Broomhouse Drive,
Edinburgh
EH11 3XD,

Tel No: 0131 244 9749 / 0131 2449750.

Email: AWET@gov.scot

Types of inspections