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EFA RESPONDS TO TODAY’S GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ON AGE LAWS 2 July 2003 In response to today’s launch of the government’s second consultation on legislation that will soon outlaw age discrimination in employment, Ms Sam Mercer, Director of the Employers Forum on Age (EFA) says: ‘This announcement signals the end of employment practice as we know it. The law will soon rank ageism alongside other forms of discrimination in employment, such as sexism or racism, and will present an immense challenge to the way we think about age in the UK. ‘Ageist attitudes and practice appear in unexpected places and affect employees of all ages – young as well as old. It is important that the debate on age laws does not simply focus on the over 50s.’ Age laws will require employers rewrite their policies on:
‘We fear this consultation may mislead many employers into thinking some ageist practices can still be justified, but our experience suggests this will be very difficult – even where policies such as redundancy and pay and benefits are currently perceived to work for the majority of employers and employees alike.’ The EFA is urging employers to get involved in the consultation debate and on Friday will issue a new guide called Speak Up, which highlights the key areas covered by the proposed legislation and provides all employers with the opportunity to have their say. back to the archive |
