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Arena Magazine 2006 Issue 5 Winter Arena |
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Age laws
Union members, both ‘young’ and ‘old’, are being urged to report any discrimination which may be covered by new laws outlawing ageism in the workplace.
These new rules - Employment Equality (Age) Regulations - came into force on October 6. Employers can no longer discriminate against staff because of their age on a range of issues including recruitment, terms and conditions, promotions, training and dismissals.
In practical terms this means an end to job adverts stipulating an age band or people being denied promotion on age-related grounds.
Immediate changes include the removal of the upper age limits on unfair dismissal and redundancy, i.e people over 65 can now claim protection under the regulations.
There is a national default retirement age of 65, making compulsory retirement below 65 unlawful unless the employer can 'objectively justify it'.
Employees have the right to request to work beyond 65, or any other retirement age set by the company, and the employer has to consider it.
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