Ageism legislation moves a step closer

The IT industry will face a shake up of its recruitment and employment policies, after the UK moved a step closer to banning workplace age discrimination.

The Department of Trade and Industry has published a consultation document on proposals to introduce age discrimination legislation by October 2006.

It addresses the issue of how the UK should implement an EU directive, which prohibits age discrimination in employment and vocational training.

The document aims to generate feedback on areas including the abolition of a compulsory retirement age, new rules that would stop employers setting a required age for a job, and the prevention of employers telling older workers that they do not qualify for training.

Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt explained that many companies in the UK already realise that there are sound business reasons for promoting diversity in the workplace.

Government research suggests that age discrimination costs the UK £16bn every year.

"Age discrimination is the last bastion of lawful unfair discrimination in the workplace and it will be outlawed," she said.

"We must challenge the ageist assumption that younger employees make the best workers. It is vital that we widen the pool of workers so that employers can make the most of the full range of talent and skills available."

The IT industry is notorious for its ageist practices, with many older IT professionals - some as young as 35 - claiming to have suffered from age discrimination.

A survey by vnunet.com's sister title Computing revealed that almost a quarter of respondents have been denied career opportunities because they were too old.

A further seven per cent claimed to have lost out because they were considered too young.

Hewitt insisted that the legislation is not about forcing people to work longer, but about providing more choice and flexibility for those who wish to stay in work in their fifties and sixties.

The consultation, a copy of which can be seen here, will run until 20 October 2003.