A group of Cambridge academics is fighting against a rule requiring them to abandon their posts when they reach 69.
Cambridge University says the forced retirement rule is designed to “ensure intergenerational fairness and career progression” because it opens up opportunities to younger academics.
According to documents seen by The Times newspaper, the group has demanded its criticisms of the policy be included in a debate about the Employer Justified Retirement Age (EJRA). A review of the policy was instigated after Oxford University faced legal challenges on the issue.
The university last week proposed that the EJRA be raised from 67 from 69, and be abolished for administrative and support staff, but the group of scholars argue that the policy is still ageist and will mean world-class scholars seek employment elsewhere.
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“Top talent won’t join Cambridge knowing they’ll be forced out at 67 or 69. We lose our best professors to other universities by 62 or 64, creating a brain drain and taking their big grants elsewhere,” the group wrote.
“The EJRA does not lead to Cambridge promoting its own junior academics. Forced retirement disproportionately also harms women whose careers often develop later.”
According to the Equality Act 2010, forcing employees to retire at a particular age is direct age discrimination, unless it can be justified as “a proportionate means of achieving legitimate aims”.
Oxford University’s policy came under scrutiny in two cases: Professor Pitcher, a Shakespearean scholar who was forced to retire at 67 who lost his claim because the judge felt the policy improved career progression and diversity.
Second was the 2019 tribunal of Professor Ewart, who was awarded almost 30,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal and age discrimination after being asked to retire from his position as head of atomic and laser physics before his 70th birthday. Oxford appealed the latter but lost.
In December 2023, around 120 current and former academics at Cambridge wrote to the new vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice urging her to review its EJRA policy.
The proposals to increase the EJRA to 69 will be debated this month and then voted on by members of the university’s democratic body.
Professor Richard Penty, chairman of the review group, told The Times: “The university’s review shows that its retirement age creates job opportunities for academics at the earlier stages of their careers. Over the past ten years, almost half of all new academic vacancies in the university were a result of the policy.”
“There would be significantly fewer permanent jobs available each year to academics in the earlier stages of their careers without it. Feedback shows that many university departments value the steady stream of vacancies created by retirement because it helps them open up crucial new areas of research, and encourages research innovation.”
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