Ageism rule 'will trigger thousands of tribunals'

Published on Sunday 1 October 2006 00:46

NEW laws introduced to tackle age discrimination in the workplace could lead to 8,000 cases being taken to employment tribunals in the next year.

The regulations will be launched across the UK today, making it unlawful to discriminate against workers because of their age.

The CBI urged firms to make sure they complied with the new laws, as penalties for getting it wrong could be serious, given there will be no cap on the compensation that tribunals can award.

Susan Anderson of the CBI said: "This is a big adjustment for firms, and it is essential that tribunals take a common-sense approach to applying the new law so that employers can continue to recruit and retain the right people for the right job."

Research among 150 organisations with almost half a million workers revealed many were retaining practices which would fall foul of the regulations.

Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling said:

"We've tried to put in place something that is common sense, and something that also will help change people's general culture and attitude towards age. Unfortunately, there is a minority of people who do discriminate because of age."

Darling said that one in three workers would be over 50 in 15 years' time, and it would not make any sense for the country or for business to "ignore" them.

He added: "Discrimination against you just because you're older has no place in a modern society.

"We are determined to create a world where the best person for the job is just that - the best person. The new laws will help to do that."

Middle-aged and older men had been particularly vulnerable, Anderson said.

"This is less true of women, and it's a curiosity, but men seem to be considered untrainable at around 50. Women seem to be considered a bit more receptive to change.

"This is the first piece of discrimination law that could and will specifically protect white middle-aged men."

The TUC has produced a 10-point "myth-buster" to try to help workers and employers deal with the new regulations.