The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 started on the 1 October 2006. Employers discriminating on this basis are likely to exclude a group of people whose talents and skills may be necessary to the future success of theor organisations.
To be succesful in an increasingly competitive market place, organisations need to attract and retain valuable employees and to develop their talents regardless of age.
As the birth rate is expected to remain low, and life expectancy is expected to increase, the proportion of the population aged over 65 will increase dramatically. Older people will become an ever more important part of the population and society will increasingly depend upon the contribution they can make. Employers, therefore, stand to gain significant benefits if they ensure that they adopt non-ageist employment practices.
Age Discrimination Legislation - 10 Key Points
- The Age regulations started on 1 October 2006.
- Regulations cover employment and vocational training. This includes access to help and guidance, recruitment, promotion, development, termination, perks and pay.
- The regulations cover people of all ages, both old and young.
- All employers, providers of vocational training, trade unions, professional associations, employer organisations and trustees, and managers of occuptational pension schemes will have new obligations to consider.
- Goods, facilities and services are not currently included in these regulations.
- Upper age limits for unfair dismissal and redundancy will be removed.
- A national default retirement age of 65 will be introduced making compulsory reitrement below age 65 unlawful (unless objectively justified). This will be reviewed in 2011.
- All employees will have the 'right to request' to work beyond the default retirement age of 65, or any other retirement age set by the compnay and all employers will have a 'duty to consider' requests from employees to work beyond 65.
- Occupational pensions are covered by the regulations, as are employer contributions to personal pensions. However, the regulations generally allow pension schemes to work as they do now.
- The regulations do not affect state pensions.
Links
- Age Concern Scotland
- Representing the rights and needs of older people.
- Age Positive
- Tackles ageism and encourages mixed age workforces.
- Campaign Against Age Discrimination in Employment
- The Campaign has set up an 'Age Audit' service to help employers get in line with 2006 legislation.
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
- Employers Forum on Age
- Independent network of employers.
- Fiftyon
- Advice on creating a diverse workforce.
- Senior Studies Institute (University of Strathclyde)
- Advising policy makers and business on age-focused issues.
- Third Age Employment Network
- Expertise in helping mature people to overcome barriers of discrimination.
