THE practice of giving stable staff a day and a half off every fortnight is likely to be tested when inspectors from the Workplace Relations Commission [WRC] begin visiting racehorse training yard next month.

Under the Organisation of Working Time Act, employees in every industry must receive a full day off work every seven days. This would be rare in most racing yards where traditionally stable staff get a half-day on Saturday and all day Sunday off once a fortnight.

The WRC is focusing on the equine industry this year following a number of anonymous complaints from industry employees. Yesterday Michael Grassick of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association said he knows of two trainers who have been informed by the WRC that their premises will be visited in May.

“I know of two trainers due to be inspected in early May,” Grassick said. “We have everything trainers need on our website – timesheets, contracts, and so on.”

Grassick acknowledged that many trainers and staff do not strictly adhere to the letter of the law on working hours. “There is an understanding between trainers and stable staff on this and the inspectors are aware of the anomalies. In the past we have found that if you work with the inspectors they will be reasonable but this new round of inspections will tell us more.”

Bernard Caldwell of the Irish Stablestaff Association is not as optimistic about WRC visits. “It’s the law and all employers have to abide by it. We don’t make up the rules but we can’t encourage people to break the law either.”

Caldwell sees another potential problem for trainers in the obligation to give staff an 11-hour break between the end of one day’s work and the start of another.

“This is going to happen a lot during the summer where staff are not home from the races until midnight. Under the law they cannot be asked to report for work until 11am the next day.

“I know some of this is frightening for employers but everyone is going to have to get their act together. Other industries have to comply with these law too.”

WRC inspections was one topic discussed at a very informative talk organised by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association at their offices in Kill, Co Kildare this week. A similar session will be held at the Firgrove Hotel in Mitchelstown, Co Cork on May 3rd at 7pm.

At this week’s meeting Eamonn McCoy from IBEC outlined to the trainers and breeders present what information and documents the inspectors are likely to request. The fact that the equine sector employs a lot of young people, even those under 16, will be of particular interest to the WRC, he said.

An ability to produce timesheets and contracts is the most basic requirement of an employer. However, there are many other potential pitfalls including giving employees the appropriate breaks and annual leave.

McCoy said: “If the inspectors find something wrong their first course of action is to tell you to sort it out. If they issue a compliance order you must do it. You can challenge them in the Labour Court inexpensively but beware that the ruling will be binding on you. You could appeal it to the Circuit Court but that is expensive.”

Emer Gaffney of Carraig Safety also spoke at the ITBA event and said that the Health & Safety Authority [HSA] was also focusing on the equine sector following an increase in farm accident fatalities recently.

Caldwell commented: “Some trainers don’t even have a safety statement on display in their yards. They don’t realise what is coming down the line here and they need to get help.”

Gaffney said: “The HSA can arrive without notice. If something is wrong they usually issue a probation notice which gives you four-to-six weeks to fix problems. However, if you engage a safety consultant at that stage they can usually get an extension by informing the HSA that they are working with the client to put things right.”