Age equality at work
It is unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers and trainees on the grounds of age.
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 cover workers of all ages and all types of employment and vocational training.
The regulations include access to help and guidance, recruitment, promotion, development, redundancy, perks and pay.
Employers need to be aware of their duties and review how they recruit and retain staff. They should check that current policies, practices and routines in all aspects of employment are compliant with the age regulations.
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
The regulations:
- banned discrimination in terms of recruitment, promotion and training
- banned unjustified retirement ages of below 65
- removed the age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights
- Under the regulations, employers don't need to have a fixed retirement age at all, and many employers have now removed theirs.
a right for employees to request working beyond retirement age and a duty on employers to consider that request a requirement for employers to give at least six months notice to employees about their intended retirement date so that individuals can plan better for retirement, and be confident that retirement is not being used as a cover for unfair dismissal The regulations do not affect the age at which people can claim their state pension. People can work whilst drawing their state pension or work and defer receipt of a higher state pension or a lump sum and their normal pension.
The regulations also:
- allow pay and non-pay benefits to continue which depend on length of service requirements of five years or less or which recognise and reward loyalty and experience and motivate staff
- remove the age limits for statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, statutory adoption pay and statutory paternity pay, so that the legislation for all four statutory payments applies in exactly the same way to all
- remove the lower and upper age limits in the statutory redundancy scheme, but leave the current age-banded system in place provide exemptions for many age-based rules in occupational pension schemes
