I disagree with your first suggestion. People would just farm with henchmen, seeing as you can buy green items from them for little to nothing. No one would farm together, because with henchies they can buy for a couple hundered gold what they got.
For your second one, I also disagree. This way people can't say they screwed up because the henchmen were set up badly. The henchmen are an absolute, and should not be changeable.
The Ultimate Hench Suggestions
Kai Nui