‘I did not imagine there would be people in the farming community who take advantage’

The parent, who wished to remain anonymous over fear her child’s placement would be jeopardised, said employers needed to ‘wake up and realise they cannot exploit students’ and that universities should ensure placements comply with what was agreed in the contract.

Speaking of her son’s experience, she said the placement was ‘not what was expected’ and they were ‘counting the days’ until it was over.

“I just hope I can get him back to the happy person he was before he embarked on this part of university life,” she said.

Her son was not being paid minimum wage and was expected to work out-of-hours with no overtime payment, while also having to pay for accommodation out of his salary – contrary to what was in the contract.

Holiday requests were also not accommodated. When he asked if he would be paid for holidays not taken, the employer replied: “Do you not think you have learned a lot?”

His mother said: “I did not imagine there would be people in the farming community who take advantage. Although they think they are doing a service and teaching those students, they do not consider what they are teaching them about fair employment, about how to treat staff, but worst of all how the morale of their student is getting lower and lower.