Articles and advice on employment law and equine recruitment for employers
A “Written Statement of Employment Particulars” is the part of an employment contract that has to be given in writing within two months of an employee starting work, and both employers and employees need to know what it must contain and what it can contain. Make sure you know where you stand!
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It’s National Apprenticeship Week 10th February – 16th February 2025 – a perfect time for grooms to explore the possibilities of gaining nationally recognised qualifications without having to take time out from work, and employers to consider expanding their team by taking on an apprentice groom! Why is this so important to the equine industry? Because the equine industry NEEDS you to! Before dismissing the idea of becoming or employing an apprentice, read our 5 reasons why the equine industry needs Apprentice Grooms…
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Understanding payslips is easier than you might think. From the 6th April 2019, it is an employee’s statutory right to receive a payslip, so it’s important that everyone understands them! Unless you are genned up on the ins and outs of gross salary, income tax, allowances, Workplace Pensions and National Insurance it may look like a confusing bunch of numbers, especially if you’re a worker receiving payslips for the first time. In this article we give you a basic guide to payslips, from who should be given payslips and why, through to understanding the various codes and figures.
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Many employers need their prospective employee to drive a car, tow a trailer, drive a tractor, a horse box or HGV lorry and, rather like reference checks, don’t always bother checking an individual’s licence for what they are legally able to drive, or even if they have any points or disqualifications. You need to know who is going to be doing the odd school run for you, transporting your horses, driving your tractor etc. Do yourself a favour, grab a strong coffee, take the phone off the hook for 10 minutes and have a read of this!
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As we all know, recruitment is an inexact science and pre-employment checks such as securing valid and recent references gives us important information that helps us to decide if a candidate is suitable for a particular role.
Over the years I have taken references on behalf of thousands of employers and prospective employees as part of delivering bespoke recruitment services. This has lead me to have many positive, long-term placements and via the same established processes of due diligence, I have also diverted my clients away from certain disaster on more than one occasion!
Interestingly these days many grooms, having known me through their careers, give me as a reference to their ‘journey.’ Similarly, and not infrequently, employers will ask me for information about a particular prospective employee and of course, where I can fairly and legally comment, I do.
Over the years, more especially in the equestrian recruitment environment, I have been struck by how many employers who recruit for themselves or via other routes don’t seem to bother taking up references, opting instead to completely ignore these critical pre-employment checks just hoping for the best; many seem to live to regret this omission sooner or later…
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Everyone likes to keep things simple, and sometimes gathering all the information needed before making decisions and acting on them can be time-consuming. With this in mind, The Grooms List team have put together a simple step-by-step guide to employing an Apprentice Groom, from writing your advert to retaining your fully trained Apprentice Groom beyond their final qualification.
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In so many of the blogs and articles we write for equine employers, we find ourselves referring to common difficulties when sourcing, securing and retaining good equine career grooms. It’s reasonable to conclude the pool of experienced grooms wanting to remain working with horses and available to yards is diminishing as the years pass. Trainee grooms, including apprentices, are a lifeblood of the equine industry and the ins and outs of employing them need much more consideration than they currently get.
Taking anyone on as an employee is a big responsibility with plenty of legislation to adhere to along associated pitfalls, so it’s very tempting to aim to keep things simple by seeking to only take on employees with experience and a solid employment history. Not only could you find this attempt to keep things simple actually complicates your recruitment drive, as you struggle to attract and secure established, experienced career grooms in what is undeniably a very competitive recruitment market for employers, but by shunning the notion of taking on an apprentice, quite simply, you could be missing out!
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This week’s blog is for all those interested in knowing more about the facts concerning employee wages, accommodation charges, holiday entitlements and finally sick pay, income tax, national insurance and pensions.
Linda Hudson, Head of Business Development at Educ8 Training, has in the last 10 years worked in both college and private training organisations and rather usefully, has also studied employment law. Linda now kindly offers us all a short review with some handy hints, tips and links for good measure!
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Last week we took a sneaky peek at an equine employers ‘wish list’, this week we thought we would do the same (only fair!) to give those employers who might need it, a gentle nudge towards a better understanding of what grooms are looking for when they make a job move. It is surprising how often we come across bewildered employers wondering why they are still groom-less months down the line. Apart from the fact that the reality is that good grooms are in really short supply, often on further investigation into the job vacancy details the reasons can be somewhat closer to home….
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The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd is delighted to publish this article by equine apprenticeship expert Linda Hudson, busting some common myths that often stop employers, would-be apprentices, and even parents from considering an equine apprenticeship.
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We all know horses don’t look after themselves, and it appears that this may lead to some confusion at times regarding holiday entitlement in the equine industry. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, don’t make assumptions about holiday entitlement, make sure you know the law!
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In my experience, most employers want to find an equestrian recruitment agency with whom they can form an enduring relationship to weather the storm we all find ourselves in currently. But this isn’t always that straightforward. Following are five tips to building a strong relationship from the moment you have decided to entrust your job vacancy with Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd and our services, including The Grooms List.
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Looking to build a successful career in a particular discipline or sector of the equine industry? Find out about the course options available to learners via and equine apprenticeship.
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Trainee grooms, including apprentices, are a lifeblood of our industry and the ins and outs of employing them needs much more consideration than they currently get – the yard junior, the trainee and of course the official and safeguarded version of the working pupil, the apprentice groom, are the future. What we all invest today could reverse the sometimes depressing current trends in the industry for tomorrow. If you are sitting comfortably with a large glass/cup of whatever keeps you awake and concentrating, please do read on. We hope you will be glad you did and that you will share this info to anyone you think might benefit from it – THE EQUESTRIAN INDUSTRY DESPERATELY NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE YOU!
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It’s an occupational hazzard that when you work with horses, sooner or later you will succumb to ailments and injuries of some sort which may have short, medium or even long term consequences and are specific to our industry. Working with horses + age = creaking gate syndrome, hard to avoid…or is it?
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Finding decent equine staff in this very tough equestrian recruitment market is not easy, it can be very time-consuming, costly and not least of all incredibly frustrating. Trust me, after 15 years as a professional equine recruitment specialist, I know! Follow my 5 simple tips to get the best out of your equestrian recruitment drive – save yourself time, a considerable amount of money, and an awful lot of headaches!
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This article is designed to share just a few useful hints and tips if you are about to embark on filling an equine job vacancy, or for those who have been looking for a time and don’t feel they are making the progress they should be. I have recently fulfilled a long-held ambition to sponsor the British Grooms Association in all they do on behalf of the grooms. We work closely with the BGA but independently we have published a lot of very supportive articles/blogs which are being shared far and wide and which promote change with well-researched advice and views on current issues. So, this week we start to turn our attention a little to the other side of this equation, the employer. Employers get tired of hearing “it’s a groom’s market” right now, I know I seem to say it several times daily, but really, it is. Here I will share with you some of the benefits of my many years as an equine recruitment consultant…
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The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment is delighted to work in partnership with the British Grooms Association (BGA) and Equine Employers Association (EEA). As an equine recruitment agency, by joining forces with these invaluable organisations we believe we can strengthen the professional equine industry by making accurate advice and resources easily accessible to all employers and employees in the equestrian world, in the right way, at the right time…
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There are of course many factors which influence the longevity and success of any working relationship. Between grooms and employers, none of these are more hotly debated these days than that of grooms’ salary and the general package. You don’t have to look too hard on social media to see the disgruntled outpourings from all sides and every day I have conversations which clearly demonstrate much is still left to be done for this situation to become resolved. I don’t pretend to have an answer as to how we raise the income levels of this particular sector, (which is in many ways is similar to many of the “caring professions”) but I believe how and when the topic of salary and terms is covered within the whole interviewing process, if addressed, could have a positive impact on the longer term security of those involved.
In this article, I give both grooms and employers my advice on laying the foundations of long-term, happy, healthy and successful employment.
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By having a 7.5 tonne+/HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) license, and a certificate to legally transport horses (as part of your job, or as your job) you can add anything from circa £200 up to £1000 or more to your monthly wage. If you are a freelance groom to add this service to your skills repertoire can really improve your “offerings” to prospective clients. The outlay required to get these qualifications can be steep for many, but at The Grooms List we have many jobs that come in where the Employer is happy to fund this training in return for a contractual promise to remain in the role for which you were employed for a mutually agreed fair period of time. The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment has negotiated a cracking 20% discount for you or your employer to make this more affordable for you by partnering with a specialised HGV trainer who trains over 200 people per month. They are the UK’s largest specialist vehicle training company, training for some of the UK’s biggest organisations. Becky Parker has done some further research on the nuts and bolts of the subject. You need to read this…
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