Posted on 26th March 2024
National Minimum Wage increases on 1st April
Upcoming increases to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), means equestrian businesses must adapt to remain compliant and viable.
On the 1st April, the rates of all age bands will rise. 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 |
The awareness of the legal right to be paid NMW is the highest it’s ever been. Grooms are growing in confidence to report employers for non-compliance and employers who underpay their staff face a fine of 200% of the arrears.
The EEA 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
