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Information and advice for equine employers

Key information and advice for equine employers.

Caroline Carter Recruitment is here to help you find your next equine groom. Here you will find articles containing information and advice for equine employers, giving you the most productive recruitment drive and quickly secure the best candidates for your job vacancy. If you have any questions or need further advice please do contact us for free, friendly, no-obligation advice.

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“The biggest ever cash boost” to the National Living Wage – 1 April, 2024

The 1st April 2024 sees what the UK Government has called “the biggest ever cash boost” to the National Living Wage. This is inevitably going to receive a mixed response. Whilst workers will be looking forward to a boost to their income, some employers will struggle to meet these new legal requirements. In this article, we outline the changes and how they affect workers and employers in the equine industry.

The difference between employed, self-employed and freelance grooms

There is often confusion surrounding employment status, with “Freelance Grooms” being treated as employees, and employees being made responsible for their own Income Tax and National Insurance. The legal ramifications can be detrimental to BOTH parties, so it’s essential that everyone is clear on the work agreement and arrangement they have.

About Freelance Grooms and Freelance Groom Jobs

The appeal of a working life flitting from yard to yard, meeting many, many new horses (and people of course!) is understandable but is this perception realistic?  This article attempts to give you an overview of freelance grooming – the ins and outs and pros and cons in a nutshell…

New Years Resolutions for Equine Employers: How to ensure a strong start to 2024

The early part of the year can be one of the busiest times in equine recruitment. The blank canvass of the new year stretches ahead, full of potential, promise but let’s face it, sometimes dread to as finding good staff these days can be somewhat…er…challenging, to say the very, very least! Having the right team around you to fulfill that potential is paramount to any person’s (or business’s) success.  As equine workers resolve to move on at the start of the year, January is a prime time to assemble that team. To help you make the most of this busy period we’ve put together a quick guide to the key points – if you like, some New Years’ Resolutions for equine employers!

15 Christmas Gift Ideas for Horse Lovers

The run-up to Christmas should be a time of excitement and anticipation.  Bonus boxes of chocolates in the tack room and singing along to cheesy Christmas carols on the yard. The problems arise when you find yourself stuck for Christmas gift ideas. How to find something that is the right mix of thoughtful, useful, appealing to that person and within budget. Well never fear, we are here to help. We have pulled together a list of our 15 favourite gift ideas specifically for people working in the equine industry, suitable for your employer, employee or college (or even yourself!).

Mental Health in the Equine Industry

The Mental Health Foundation is a UK charity that campaigns for good mental health for all.  As you may have noticed (!) this week (14th-20th May) is Mental Health Awareness Week so naturally, we turn our attention to the matter of mental health in the equine industry. Taking the opportunity to reinforce our partnership with the BGA we are happy to support their initiatives where we can and as ever, to advise on issues which can arise within the yard environment, relating this directly to the employer : groom dynamic with which we are so familiar…

Job Trials – An Employer’s Perspective

So you think you have found the candidate you have been looking for? That’s great, but WHOA just hold your horses a second… In my experience, interviewing alone can be a very inexact science. Before you shake hands on the deal, I strongly recommend all employers and all job seekers road test each other first with a job trial, at a pre-agreed paid rate of course. This might be the one thing that, for you, secures your decision. Of course sometimes, for some people, a job trial is not always practical, but if it is, move heaven and earth, do yourself a favour and have one. There is nothing like a road test for really seeing first hand if something might be a fit…

Wages in the Equine Industry

In April every year, at the end of one Tax Year and the start of the next, the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage increases. This is important for everyone in the equine industry – employers and employees alike. Equestrianism is a notoriously low-pay industry in terms of hourly salary, and salaries are frequently, if not always, topped up with extras, bonuses and tidbits. But in reality, how lawful are we in doing this without the advice and guidance of accountants and tax specialists? And what are the consequences of getting it wrong? The UK Government has strict laws regarding the minimum sum of money any individual can receive in return for work done and it can be confusing at least, a minefield at worst, when remunerating staff not just fairly, but legally too.  In this article, we take a timely look, and research answers to basic questions for both employers and employees regarding the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage and to highlight common misconceptions within the equine industry regarding wages, remuneration packages and the law.

Equine Jobs with Accommodation

The provision of accommodation with an equine job can be a grey area for both employers and employees, with so many varying arrangements from yard to yard and job role to job role. Get it wrong and at the very least an employer struggles to find and keep staff, the employee loses out on their salary entitlement and, worst case scenario, the employer and employee find themselves in very hot water. Here we attempt to put a complex matter into as simple terms as possible, regarding the provision of accommodation with a job, based on situations regularly seen within the equine industry.

What is a Workplace Pension?

Since April 2017, it’s compulsory that all eligible employees receive a Workplace Pension as part of their employment contract, and this applies to grooms working in the equine industry. There is still a lot of confusion surrounding Workplace Pensions, who is eligible for one and who should be paying into one. So, what is a workplace pension? What does this mean? Who should expect to receive one? We have put together a simple guide to answer 10 common questions regarding Workplace Pensions in the equine industry

Caroline and her team of friendly, knowledgeable, well-trained recruiters run the award-winning, No.1 Equestrian Recruitment Agency in Europe and growth continues apace – this is no accident! They are all experienced in all aspects of grooming and employment and their collective experience in equine recruitment alone is unmatched. The results speak for themselves. Able to efficiently assist you to fill your vacancy, find your next career move or job as well as offering a unique blend of sound and pragmatic advice to both job seekers and employers alike. Contact the team today to get your equine recruitment drive or job search started. Find key information and advice for equine employers and job seekers in our full catalogue of articles here.

For broader advice on employment matters, not specific to the equestrian industry, please visit the UK Government website.

Need Advice?

If you’d like free, friendly, no obligation advice from Caroline about finding and employing your next member of staff please do get in touch!

© Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd and The Grooms List, 2024. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd and www.thegroomslist.co.uk with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd
The Stables
Fildyke Road
Meppershall
Bedfordshire
SG17 5LU

info@carolinecarterrecruitment.com
0203 006 5730 / 07747 686 118

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