News & Research
National minimum wage increases
On the 1st April the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates rose across all bands
There is also a significant change with the age eligibility threshold of the National Living Wage (NLW) being lowered to 21 years:
- 21 and over £11.44
- 18-20 years £8.60
- Under 18 £6.40
- Apprentice rate £6.40
Awareness of the legal right to be paid NMW is the highest it’s ever been, with grooms growing in confidence to report employers for non-compliance – those employers who underpay their staff face a fine of 200% of the arrears.
The Equestrian Employers Association says, “We must update the way the industry operates. We’ve got to streamline the daily running of the yard, including the staffing resource. Could just one groom perform the morning feeding duties, with the rest arriving later? This small change could save an employer a significant amount of their annual wage bill.”
The Minimum Wage is not a choice to pay, it is the law and non-compliance is a prosecutable offence. HMRC has already identified the equestrian sector as one of a high level of non-compliance.
Find out more about the NMW rises here: https://equestrianemployers.org.uk/NMW
