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Courtesy of NAA:

Animal activists have been active this summer in California and North Carolina organizing public demonstrations and attempting “animal rescues” at poultry and pork farms.
 
The Animal Agriculture Alliance offers these questions-to-think-about when hiring.
 
Are the employees working on your farm there to help care for your animals? Do their goals align with your business? Unfortunately, it’s a common strategy for some animal rights activist organizations to have individuals go “undercover” on farms to record videos that can be taken out of context, stage scenes of animal mistreatment or encourage abuse to record it without doing anything to stop it.
 
The Animal Agriculture Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to bridging the communication gap between farm and fork for more than thirty years, monitors animal rights activists and offers these tips regarding hiring:

• It is vital to thoroughly screen applicants, verify information and check all references.
• Be cautious of individuals who try to use a college ID, have out of state license plates or are looking for short-term work.
• During the interview, look for answers that seem overly rehearsed or include incorrect use of farm terminology.
• Search for all applicants online to see if they have public social media profiles or websites/blogs. Look for any questionable content or connections to activist organizations.
• Require all employees to sign your animal care policy. Provide training and updates on proper animal handling training.
• Require employees to report any mishandling to management immediately.
• Watch out for red flags, such as coming to work unusually early or staying late and going into areas of the farm not required for their job.

Always trust your gut – if something doesn’t seem right, explore it further. Be vigilant and never cut corners on your hiring process, even if you need to hire someone quickly. Doing your homework on every job applicant may be time-consuming, but it can ultimately save your business’ reputation. As always, it is important to work with local legal counsel to ensure compliance with federal and state laws for your hiring process.
 
The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) offers to members helpful suggestions to avoid animal activist tactics when planning a meeting, offering farm tours, hiring, or writing an animal care policy.  Contact the NAA Office at naa@thenaa.net or 850-216-2400 for copies.