|
Government delays leave employers in limbo for another year 7 April 2004 At a meeting of the Age Advisory Group (AAG) today, the Government reneged on its promise to give employers 2 years to prepare for age discrimination legislation, announcing that consultation on the draft regulations could be delayed until summer 2005. Speaking after the meeting, Ms Sam Mercer, Director of the EFA, said: "We have had two years of discussion and two major consultations yet we still don't have clear answers from the Government. Employers need to see the draft age discrimination regulations, not go through another round of consultation just on the issue of retirement. "Age affects nearly all employment policies and practices, from recruitment, to the more complex areas of employee benefits, retirement and pension schemes; this legislation therefore has the potential to impact more widely than any other recent employment law - this is not just about removing age limits from job adverts. "The Government promised to give employers 2 years, with the draft regulations in place, to prepare for the changes needed. Going back on this commitment, particularly given the scale of change required, will mean many employers are at much greater risk of getting it wrong and ending up in a tribunal. "We believe our proposals represent a flexible, realistic and practical solution to the key issues in this legislation, and urge the Government to make the serious decisions now." Notes to Editors Back to the press office back to the archive |
