Poor employment can lead to BIG payouts

Good Employment Week 2023 calls for everyone to put their hand up if they do not have a contract. By not having a contract in place employers are putting their hands up to adhering to non-compliance. The lack of written contract is often a red flag for other employment issues within the workplace and when employment isn't legal, it can be very costly for the employer. 

Thanks to the advice given by the BGA, Grace was awarded a settlement of over £20,000.

“When I first reached out to the BGA for advice I was unsure of what to expect. But straight away they assured me of my rights as an employee. All it took was a 20-minute phone call with the BGA to make me realise what was going on wasn’t right!

There is a stigma working with horses that you don’t earn much money and you do it because you love it, I was a firm believer in that for four years. But it doesn’t have to be that way, you can still love your job with horses and earn a fair wage.

I had been working on an event yard as head girl for four years. During this time, I had countless opportunities i.e. rides of my own, project horses bought for me to train, days hunting so seemingly I was very lucky.

Days off and breaks away from the yard were few and far between. I was constantly travelling away to international shows, (which I was made to feel was a huge privilege despite the constant driving, long hours and time away from home). All this was in addition to grooming at national fixtures, meaning I never had any time away from work.

Subsequently I was diagnosed with depression and was left unable to work. I was under huge amounts of pressure to go back to work. Even though I was signed off work by the doctor, I buckled under the pressure and agreed to groom for a week at Bramham. During this time, I was made to feel like I was letting the team down, I felt terrible so decided to call the BGA for advice.

The BGA asked me several questions which raised red flags. Throughout the four years I worked on the yard, I had never seen a contract or payslip, never received an end of year tax summary or had any correspondence from a pension scheme, despite having provided all the necessary information on commencing of my employment.

I was also asked if my pay reflected the hours I worked. When we broke down my pay, it was shocking of how little I was being paid for the number of hours I worked. In addition to all this, I was being charged for my accommodation on site, above the accommodation offset rate.

During my employment, I often tried to ask about matters regarding tax, payslips etc and was just told it was with the accountant and nothing more would happen.

After speaking with a solicitor, I realised I had an incredibly strong case to take my employer to an employment tribunal. I gave the rider I worked for the choice of a settlement agreement or to go to a tribunal.

The rider wanted to come to an agreement so after nearly a month of seriously tough negotiations we eventually managed to settle.

I was paid over £20,000 to cover all my previous tax payments, hours of overtime that I wasn’t paid for, and compensation.

The BGA assured me I was not in the wrong, what happened was not my fault, and any money I got, I had already earned within the past four years.

Thank you to the BGA for helping me."

Unfortunately cases like this are common within the equestrian industry and it's time to make this stop, by understanding what Good Employment is and accepting nothing less.

Thank you to Grace for sharing her story, helping us to educate grooms to understand what Good Employment is. 

What is Good Employment?

Good Employment means being legal, fair, and kind. A good starting point is to make sure you are employed correctly, with the right status, i.e employed/self-employed/worker - use our online checker if you are unsure.

Also, ensure you are being paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW)/National Living Wage (NLW), correct for your age, find out more in our NMW guide.

Employers can take the Equestrian Employers Association pledge by adopting their Code of Good Employment to be; 

• Legally compliant
• Professional
• Caring
• A happy place for staff to work
• Viable and sustainable

Together we are stronger!

Our vision is for the equestrian industry to have Good Employment practice as standard, and be a great place for grooms to work. We continue our mission to promote, support, educate and lobby, as the grooms representative body, on the importance of Good Employment.

We wish for our BGA members to only ever work in professional, caring, viable businesses where the legalities are adhered to and wellbeing is paramount.

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Play your part and be the change, join your professional association to help us work towards a future where Good Employment is the norm

The BGA is your organisation that supports, represents, and champions the career of all grooms.

If you are not a member yet, please join to help us make the equestrian industry a place of only Good Employment.

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