Age discrimination protection came into effect on 1 October 2006. Employers are now prevented from discriminating on the grounds of age – not only during recruitment, but also for promotion, training, performance management, redundancy and other policies.
If you are subjected to banter or harassment, and this is connected with your age, you are protected. This applies whether you are younger or older; if the banter is offensive or just unacceptable you should inform your Employer. Keep notes of your actions.
Since 2011, there has been no statutory retirement age. This means that you cannot be made to retire at a particular age unless your Employer can justify this. If you are being made to retire and do not wish to leave your job, speak to our Advice Line or a solicitor.
There are some jobs where being of a certain age is an essential requirement (bar work, airline pilots, driving a bus or HGV driving are examples of jobs where age is crucial). Despite this, advertisements may still carry age restrictions, which are now unlawful unless it can be justified. This can often be down to stereotyping, or a subjective view of the recruiter. Before applying age criteria to a person specification, Employers should ensure that this is genuinely required to do the job.