Located in the United States, Sanderson Farms is a Fortune 1000 company, and the third-largest poultry producer in the country. It produces 13.65 million chickens per week and has a net worth of $4.18B as of September 13, 2021. The 17000 plus employees along with the 1000 independent growers are solely committed to the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of fresh frozen chicken. Headquartered in Laurel, Mississippi, the elite company is owned by Cargill and Continental Grain and takes great pride in feeding America’s families! Let’s know about Sanderson Farms Shift Hours.
The place is open 24 hours, so it’s very convenient to choose shifts. There are 3 shifts in total. The 1st shift is most likely to take place between 9 am – 5 pm, the 2nd shift starts between 5 pm and 1 am whereas the 3rd shift is likely to fall between the hours of 12 am and 8 am. There are also different shifts assigned with different job positions.
Shifts At Sanderson
The company offers great flexibility in their working hours. The shifts usually comprise eight hours, however, can be even less if the machines break down. For the role of the Forklift operator, there are 3 shifts available. It starts from 7:30am – 3pm, 3:30pm – 12am, and 1am – 6am. For the Bird hanger, the first shift of the day begins at 7 am – 4 pm, 4 pm – 12 am and 1 am – 6 am. For the debone, the 2nd shift begins at 4:30 pm. The Debone night shift occurs between 2 pm – 11 pm, whereas for the day hours of deboning, he comes at 7:15 am and starts at 8 till 4:30 in the afternoon. The person assigned for the role of Live hang usually comes between 5 am – 6 am and starts at 6 in the morning. For working in sanitation, the shift starts at 1 am and goes on till 7 am. The orientation process is separated through shifts.
Hiring process
The hiring process at Sanderson’s takes about two weeks and includes three easy steps. The person willing to get employed has to make it through the:
- Interview
- Background check, and
- Drug test
The application process takes up to one day or a maximum of two days, and you get hired the same day as your application.
Interview
It takes less than a week to get an interview at Sanderson. It’s a smooth process. Show up on time and be as honest as possible! Just after your interview process, you get started at 4 hours a day in your first week, then 6 hours in your second week and the last week contains 8 hours a day.
Background check
Results come in a couple of hours. If everything is fine you can start the next day. It’s important to remember that you won’t be hired if you have committed a felony, and it’s an ongoing case.
Drug test
They take a sample of your urine. Palestine, Texas has its own nurse office. You will use the bathroom as they wait outside. They even use urine collection cups that test the temperature. It’s very reliable as the company is bent on taking the best care of its employees. After this, you wait for a phone call so that you can start your training process. A drug test is not done on the same day of orientation.
Eligibility and other aspects
The minimum age required to work here is 18. You cannot start if you are 17 years of age or below. You are hired if you pass the background check and the drug test. For the hiring process, you need your:
- green sheet
- social card, and
- identification. (The ID shouldn’t expire.)
It usually takes one day for the interview, and one for the drug test. The hiring process also includes orientation. It goes on for about nine hours. If you miss orientation, you have to wait another year before you can reapply. The same applies if you fail the drug test or if you bring falsified documents along with you. The training starts after 2 days of orientation. If you quit your job while ongoing the training, you will still be paid for it.
- Dress code
They allow you to wear casual clothes. You can even wear nail paint and false nails on your person because you are provided with aprons and rubber gloves. Tattoos are allowed too, however, piercings are forbidden on the floor.
- Firing
They are very serious about missing work. It takes only three days before you get fired. The first day usually comes as a warning. You can go back/rejoin after one year of your termination.
Salary
Payday comes every Friday where you can collect your checks between 12 pm to 4 pm. They even give out turkey coupons to their employees. You also get paid for attending orientation and training. The entry-level pay rate at Sanderson’s Farm is $13 per hour and then every six months you get an advance based on your attendance and work productivity.
Average salaries at Sanderson’s
| PayScale | Role |
| $15/hour | Debone |
| $14.70/hour | Sanitization |
| $24.11/hour | Maintenance |
| $14.08/hour | Live hanger |
| $11.98/hour | Assembler |
| $14.48/hour | Line operator |
| $52157/year | Supervisor |
Perks
Working at Sanderson’s comes with certain benefits for their employees like insurance of four kinds: dental insurance, health insurance, vision insurance, and life insurance. They also offer flexible hours at work. Here you also enjoy holiday pay, a day off on your birthday, and yearly bonuses to employees. The company also provides very promising stock options. Sanderson gives vacation and six sick leaves per year as well. The most popular holidays here include Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July, Christmas, and New Year. In 2020, while the whole world was fighting the pandemic, Sanderson’s farm even announced a temporary weekly attendance bonus of $1 an hour for each hour worked.
Conclusion
The company is doing a commendable job starting from producing great quality poultry by feeding them the most efficient quality ingredients, to taking utmost care of its clients. Researchers have observed the lowest bacterial count here including pathogens, meaning the customers are being provided with the safest of products. Sanderson’s is flourishing and as their tagline says, “Good, honest chicken!”.
Frequently asked questions
1) How many shifts are there in total at Sanderson’s?
There are three shifts available in total. They are very flexible, so you can choose according to your convenience.
2) How often do you get a raise?
They offer raises once every year. However, you are also entitled to get them if they see fit, or by working extremely hard and also by promotions.
3) What is the working environment like here?
It’s a very decent workplace with systematic authority and steady pay. They are very strict about their firing system which keeps everyone in check. Although, sometimes it can get a little hectic and stressful because of the extremely short breaks they provide.
4) Are the weekends off here?
Yes, they are off. However, you can ask for extra shifts if there is work available.
