Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Age discriminationEquality, diversity and inclusionLatest News

CBI seeks to limit litigation from age discrimination rules

by Mike Berry 17 Oct 2005
by Mike Berry 17 Oct 2005

New age discrimination laws must not expose employers to the risk of litigation when staff retire, the CBI has warned.


Under the government’s proposals employees will be able to ask to work beyond the new default retirement age of 65.


But business depends on being able to plan for the future and staffing levels are a core element so employers want to have the final decision on retirement, subject to correct procedures being followed.


Consultation on the regulations, which are broadly welcomed by the CBI, ends today.


The draft rules will leave employers exposed to litigation and potentially costly employment tribunals, the CBI said.


The regulations amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 and allow workers to challenge ‘planned retirement’ as unfair dismissal regardless of whether or not the employer followed the correct procedures.


And in such circumstances the practice of tribunals is to leave employers to prove their innocence or risk costly rulings against them.


The CBI wants the regulations to ensure the final decision on retirement is left to the company without risk when the proper procedures have been followed.


John Cridland, deputy director-general of the CBI, said: “These regulations are a major landmark – protecting employees against unjustified age discrimination is the right thing to do.


“But government must ensure the regulations are also workable and business-friendly. These draft regulations don’t give employers and employees the clarity they need.


“Retirement is a vital management tool. It allows employers to plan for the future of their workforce and is a well-established part of the UK labour market.”


The CBI also wants to retain the existing statutory redundancy payment scheme which ensures that older workers who get made redundant get more money than younger ones. A replacement scheme with a flat rate for all would inevitably see older workers penalised.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Similarly, length-of-service benefits, which reward long-standing and loyal staff with extra days’ leave for example, should be exempt from the discrimination laws because the schemes are a vital tool for staff retention.


Last week Personnel Today revealed employers are getting ‘desperate’ for information. The Employers Forum on Age said organisations were running out of time to prepare for the October 2006 deadline.

CBI
Mike Berry

previous post
IBM to help staff leave and train to become teachers
next post
Breaks every 20 minutes will relieve back and neck pains

You may also like

Personnel Today Awards 2025: Final deadline on Monday

20 Jun 2025

Seven ways to prepare now for the Employment...

20 Jun 2025

Sniff a lemon on World Productivity Day and...

20 Jun 2025

Employees want more upskilling and apprenticeships to narrow...

20 Jun 2025

NHS pay disputes: Who could strike again?

20 Jun 2025

BBC Breakfast bullying and misconduct allegations under investigation

20 Jun 2025

AI company did not racially discriminate against Chinese...

20 Jun 2025

Financial analyst guilty of insider dealing while WFH

20 Jun 2025

Only a third of recruiters receive high-quality job...

20 Jun 2025

UK job market shows signs of resilience

20 Jun 2025

  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more
  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+