Big Changes for Busy Yards

From April 2026, the Employment Rights Act will change pay, sick pay and family-friendly rights for yard teams.

Running a yard can be fast-paced and unpredictable. Early feeds, late finishes, show days, lessons, vet visits and weather surprises all squeeze the schedule.

Teams often include temporary and seasonal staff, apprentices learning the ropes, young workers starting out and self employed coaches or specialists.

With people joining and leaving rotas, swapping shifts and working irregular hours, clear rules matter. Everyone needs to know what they’re paid, how sick pay works and what happens when they need time off for family.

This spring brings three key changes:

• 1 April 2026: New National Minimum Wage (NMW), National Living Wage (NLW) and accommodation offset rates come into effect. More on that here.
• 6 April 2026: New statutory sick pay (SSP) rules and higher statutory family payments start
• From 18 February 2026: Staff can give formal notice for day one family leave if the leave begins on or after 6 April.

SSP: easier access and day-one support

• SSP from day one: The old three ‘waiting days’ are removed, so if someone is sick, SSP starts immediately.
• No minimum earnings test: Lower paid, part time and zero hours staff can qualify.
• Pay for lower earners: SSP is the lower of 80% of normal weekly pay or £123.25 a week (from 6 April).

Day-one family-friendly rights

From 6 April, key leave rights apply from the first day of employment (note that leave rights and pay rights are separate):

• Paternity leave: Up to two weeks off is a day one right. Statutory pay still requires 26 weeks’ service, but employers can choose to top up pay from day one.
• After shared parental leave: Staff can still take paternity leave (and receive paternity pay if eligible).
• Unpaid parental leave: Up to 18 weeks per child until age 18, now a day one right.
• Bereaved partner’s paternity leave: Up to 52 weeks’ unpaid leave if the child’s primary carer dies in the first year of life or after adoption.

Quick actions for employers

Update policies and handbooks Sickness: Remove waiting days and the earnings limit and explain the 80% rule Family leave: Include day?one eligibility, simple notice and evidence and who is covered Pay: Include clear rate bands and accommodation rules

Update payroll by loading new rates and dates, remove SSP waiting days and add the 80% SSP calculation for lower earners.

Train managers on time recording, fair scheduling, return to work chats, handling urgent leave and avoiding discrimination.

Conduct a quick audit to check hourly rates and deductions.

Not sure how these changes will affect your yard? Download the free EEA members guide to the Employment Right Act here. EEA members can also contact our in-house HR advisor for personalised support.

If you have any concerns regarding determining employment status and what this means for your business, please reach out to the Equestrian Employers Association team or the Employment Law team at HCR Wright Hassall who can provide assistance.