Tuesday 14 December 2004

Age Discrimination - Retirement Proposals Published

The DTI has published its post- age discrimination retirement plans.

Main proposals:

- the default retirement age of 65 will be maintained, but with employees having a right to request to work beyond 65 which employers must seriously consider (oh please - anyone fancy some fudge?)

- the right to request will follow the model of the right to request flexible working - i.e. the employer has to give a reason for the refusal, but it cannot really be challenged on any sensible grounds in a tribunal.

- monitoring of the retirement age to see if it should be changed in five years time (err... so what has the DTI been doing for the last five years?)

- employers will be allowed to have a retirement age of under 65 if it can be objectively justified, i.e. if it is "appropriate and necessary".

Draft legislation on age discrimination is now being promised for consultation in the summer of 2005.

Full Text of the Statement to Parliament

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